NHTSA Complaint #10070333 — 1997 FORD E SERIES

WE PURCHASED A 1997 FORD E150 RAISED ROOF CONVERSION VAN FROM JIM O'NEAL FORD IN SELLERSBURG, INDIANA JUST ACROSS THE BORDER FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. THE CONVERSION WAS BY SUPERIOR IN LOUISVILLE. WE PURCHASED THAT PARTICULAR VAN BECAUSE IT WAS HIGHLY RATED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AS A CONVERSION COMPANY. WE DROVE THE VAN FOR SIX YEARS AND JUST RECENTLY TRADED IT IN. IT HAS 97,000 MILES ON IT. THE MAJOR PROBLEM WE HAD WITH THE VAN WAS WITH THE FRONT END. BOTH FORD AND OUR LOCAL TIRE DEALER HAVE TOLD US THAT BECAUSE THE VAN IS RAISED ROOF AND HEAVIER THAN NORMAL, WE SHOULD EXPECT EXCESSIVE TIRE AND BRAKE WEAR. HOWEVER, WE OFTEN WOULD HAVE TO PUT BRAKES ON THE VAN MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR AND REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES YEARLY. THE FRONT TIRES WOULD GET ABNORMAL WEAR (CUPPING) WHICH WOULD DESTROY ALL FOUR TIRES EVENTUALLY WITH NORMAL ROTATION. AT 60,000 MILES, A FORD REPAIR SHOP IN JOPLIN, MO TOLD US THE BALL JOINTS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY FELT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM ALL ALONG. ONLY 30,000 MILES LATER, WE WERE ONCE AGAIN TOLD THE BALL JOINTS WERE DESTROYED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. ANY TIME WE ASK IF THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, WE WERE TOLD (WITH A SHOULDER SHRUG) THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE RAISED ROOF. I THINK FORD SHOULD WARN POTENTIAL BUYERS OF THEIR CONVERSION VANS THAT THEY WILL EXPERIENCE ABNORMAL BRAKE, TIRE AND FRONT END WEAR AND SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE $6-800 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS YEARLY. IF THEY CANNOT MANUFACTURE A FRONT END CAPABLE OF HANDLING A HEAVIER LOAD FROM THE RAISED ROOF, THEY SHOULD NOT BE SELLING RAISED ROOF VANS.