By Craig Evry
THE dangerous faults of a Ford Explorer were highlighted on a Channel 4 programme last week, with a Warminster couple recounting the story of their close escape.
The Explorer's cruise control system came under fire on the Dispatches programme which featured Gordon and Felicity Beck's story.
Mrs Beck recounted her bad experience with the Explorer's cruise control facility. She said: "The car just became a complete monster. The car was in charge of us. We had no control."
The Becks also said that, during the incident, they were only able to stop after performing an 180-degree turn.
In the programme, Ford spokesman Ian McAlister said that all Ford cars were designed with safety in mind.
He said: "Our number one priority is the safety of our customers.
"We investigate thoroughly, we design our cars with safety in mind."
Potential problems with the car came to light two years ago when Bristol driver Chris Merrick, 35, died after losing control of his four-wheel drive.
Dispatches also revealed evidence that Ford knew about the problems long before the launch of the Explorer in Britain three years ago, which would have prevented the Beck's terrifying ordeal.
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