NHTSA Complaint #10041570 — 2002 FORD RANGER

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2002 FORD RANGER ON THE FREEWAY. IT WAS RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, CLEAR SKIES, SUN OUT AND NO RAIN. SHE FELT THE TRUCK VIOLENTLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT, AND THOUGHT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD A BLOWN OUT. BUT THE TRUCK WAS THROWN INTO THE GUARD RAIL, A WITNESS BEHIND HER SAID THE WHEEL FLEW OFF THE TRUCK, THEN IT WENT AIRBORNE AND FLEW BACK TO THE LEFT OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, MY DAUGHTER HAD ONLY MILD INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE E.R. VIA AMBULANCE. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED WITH THE TRUCK OR THE FLYING WHEEL. WHEN I SAW THE CAR AT THE WRECKER YARD, I NOTED THE WHOLE WHEEL AND PART OF THE AXLE WERE MISSING. MY DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND FOUND THE TIRE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE AXLE AND PART OF THE BRAKE COMPONENTS STILL ATTACHED. HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER REPORTS OF A WHEEL BREAKING OFF OF A FORD RANGER? IN RETROSPECT, THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 6000 MILES AND THERE HAS BEEN TWO BLOWN OUTS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE IN WHICH I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE WITHIN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THE TIRES ARE GOODYEAR. COULD THIS BE RELATED AS WELL OR IS IT A DIFFERENCE PROBLEM? *LA