News Corp Carsguide journalist Peter Barnwell was test driving this new Ford Everest on the NSW Central Coast when the display screen suddenly went blank, the engine cut out, and the car burst into flames.

EXCLUSIVE

JUST days after a Ford Everest family SUV burst into flames during a test drive, reports have emerged of four similar fires involving other Fords with the same engine and electrical system.

The under-bonnet fires involved the popular Ford Ranger ute and occurred over the past two years, but they have only just come to light after News Corp Australia’s exclusive story on Thursday.

The Ford Everest and Ranger ute share the same diesel engine and electrical systems and other components — and are made on the same production line.

Two Ranger ute owners — one in Queensland, another in Victoria — have come forward with information about their fires.

Meanwhile, Ford has acknowledged it had been notified about two other “thermal incidents” — but one was deemed to be caused by faulty accessories while the other case, also involving a vehicle equipped with accessories, is still being assessed.

Ranger customers in Queensland and Victoria who approached News Corp Australia said their utes were not modified — one was still under warranty while the other had only just lapsed due to distance travelled.

Ford says it has not investigated the two latest Ranger incidents because it is company policy to refer customers to their insurer.

But this process has left at least two customers inconvenienced and out of pocket.

They say the fire damage claims also put up the price of their insurance premiums on their next car because they are now deemed higher a risk.

Builder Paul McCarthy, 38, from Ashmore on the Gold Coast, has taken out a loan for a new car while the insurance company investigates the damage.

Two weeks ago, after his 2012 Ford Ranger XLT had been parked all day, Mr McCarthy moved the ute into his driveway before going to get pizza for dinner in a friend’s car.

“As soon as I got there I got a call saying, ‘come back, your car’s on fire’,” said Mr McCarthy.

“My daughter heard the alarm go off first — the car was locked — and then saw it go up in flames,” he said.

The fire brigade told Mr McCarthy the fire appeared to have started near the battery and fuse box under the bonnet.

Wade Ibrahim, 23, a construction worker from Healesville, north of Melbourne, said he was driving to the snow in June last year when his Ranger XLT caught fire late at night on the Hume Highway near Wangaratta.

“The car suddenly accelerated really fast, even though I had cruise control on, and it got up to about 140km/h,” said Mr Ibrahim.

“So I kicked it out of gear and rolled to a stop. When I got out and looked underneath I could see flames.”

Mr Ibrahim said he fled the fire because of the heat and shrapnel, but he was able to capture a short video from a safe distance.

News Corp Australia has verified the footage.

Mr Ibrahim called Ford head office customer service “at least half a dozen times over three weeks” to explain the problem, but was also turned away.

“I spoke to Ford and they didn’t want to know about it. They told me to go through my insurance,” said Mr Ibrahim, whose claim was approved and paid out by his insurer three months later.

Ford Australia spokesman Wes Sherwood told News Corp Australia it was company policy to rely on insurers to investigate fires, even if a car is under warranty.

“When we receive a customer contact relating to an alleged vehicle fire, Ford’s established process is to refer the customer to their insurer as the first step as vehicle fires can result from a range of different causes,” he said.

“Our experience is that the insurer will then conduct an investigation and work with us if they believe the fire may have been caused by a concern with the vehicle.”

Ford says while it is continuing its investigation into this week’s Everest fire, owners of Ranger utes and Everest SUVs should not be concerned.

“We are still completing our investigation of the Everest incident but are not aware of similar reports for the new Everest or Ranger, or previous Ranger. We believe our customers should be comfortable driving their vehicles as normal,” said Mr Sherwood.

On Thursday, News Corp Australia reported that Carsguide journalist Peter Barnwell was test driving a new Ford Everest on the NSW Central Coast when the display screen suddenly went blank, the engine cut out, and the car burst into flames.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling