HOUSTON -- Note: The following story is a verbatim transcript of a Troubleshooters story that aired on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, on KPRC Local 2 at 10 p.m.

There's an alert tonight. The car in your driveway could be part of a massive recall. The recall will come because of the potential for faulty cruise control switches to spark fires in certain Ford trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Investigative reporter Robert Arnold has spent the past year and a half tracking these fires and the devastation they've caused. Tonight, he has the new details on tomorrow's planned Ford recall.

Since 2004 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been delving into the cause of fires happening in certain Ford trucks and SUVs.

Now, sources with knowledge of this investigation tell Local 2 tomorrow morning the automaker will announce the recall of 1.6 million vehicles because of these fires. Our sources say the recall will include all 1998 Explorers and Mountaneers equipped with cruise control, 2000 through 2002 Excursions, 1994 through 1996 Econoline Vans, 1996 though 2002 E-450 vans and 1994 through 2002 F-250 through F-550 model trucks.

Heidi Edinger: "I lost my vehicle, my house, my jet ski. We've got to start all over."

Maria Guana: "I'm upset because look at what we're going through. My children, my family could have been dead."

Danny Minter: "I've lost everything I had. I'm 54 years old and I don't think I'll ever recover at all."

Mike Jolly, attorney: "A lot of people have lost a lot of property. Houses have burned."

Attorney Mike Jolly has represented dozens of clients whose trucks and SUVs caught fire.

Mike Jolly: "It just goes to show you how deep a problem like this can run."

Investigators tell us the fires happen when brake fluid leaks into these cruise control deactivation switches, causing a short. And since the switches have a constant current flowing into them, that short eventually blossoms into a fire.

Dave Reiter, Verite Forensic Engineering, Inc.: "I think it's way beyond its time. Certainly, these vehicles have a problem and everybody knows they've had a problem for a long time now."

Dave Reiter is a nationally recognized forensic fire investigator with Verite engineering. He says he started investigating these so-called "switch fires" in the late 90s.

Dave Reiter: "With all the similarities I think the recall should have been done a long time ago, but that's my opinion."

But the recall our sources say will be announced tomorrow is actually the fourth recall because of these fires. The first was in 1997 involving '92 through '93 model Crown Victoria's, Lincoln Town Cars and Mercury Grand Marquis.

Last year ford issued two more recalls -- one in January and another in September. With tomorrow's expected announcement, the number of cars recalled because of these fires will total roughly 6.5 million vehicles.

And that figure will make this the third largest recall in automotive history. Our sources also tell us tomorrow's announcement will officially close the government's investigation into these fires. We also tried three times to talk with officials at Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan but our calls were not returned.

Vehicles Recalled

Aug. 3, 2006 Recall

1998 Explorers and Mountaineers with cruise control
2000-2002 Excursions
1994-1996 Econoline Vans
1996-2002 E-450 Vans
1994-2002 F-250 through F-550 model trucks

July 1997 Recall

1992-1993 Crown Victorias, Lincoln Town Cars and Mercury Grand Marquis

January 2005 Recall

2000 F-150’s, Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators
2001 F-Series Supercrew with cruise control

September 2005 Recall

1994-2002 F-150
1997-2002 Expeditions
1998-2002 Lincoln Navigators
1994-1996 Broncos with cruise control

Owners of the newly recalled vehicles will receive notices in the mail in a week and dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Customers can contact Ford at 1-888-222-2751.