"That doesn't even count the Ford products rigged to explode by Dateline NBC or 60 Minutes, either."
Those were GM pickups, not Fords. Their "defect" was just as overblown as the Crown Victoria that you're talking about. Crown Vics are "exploding" at a rate no higher than the Impala. Is there any vehicle out there that doesn't have a significant risk of fire when parked and rear-ended by a vehicle traveling 100 mph? If they're really that bad, then why are the police departments suing Ford still trying to buy more?
The Crown Vics were exploding without being rear ended, and they were typically in motion. Big difference between a car that explodes on ya while you're driving it and one that explodes as the result of an accident.