NHTSA Complaint #10136887 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

ON JUNE 29, 2005, DURING ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION MY 2002 EXPLORER HAD TO HAVE NEW REAR BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED FOR THE 2ND TIME DUE TO RUST. MILEAGE WAS 24,713 MILES. PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW ON MARCH 29, 2002. AUGUST 14, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 10,250 MILES, HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR ROTORS DUE TO RUSTING. FORD DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED THE BRAKE LININGS BE REPLACED AS WELL. FORD COVERED THIS COMPLETE COST. IN THIS 2ND INSTANCE, FORD WILL COVER NOTHING SINCE VEHICLE IS BEYOND ITS 36 MONTH WARRANTY, & BRAKES ARE CONSIDERED WEAR ITEMS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE RUSTING OF THE REAR ROTORS PREVENTED MY VEHICLE FROM PASSING THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS MY 3RD EXPLORER, ALL PURCHASED NEW, & THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. INITIAL 1991 EXPLORER DRIVEN 9 YEARS & OVER 70,000 MILES; 2ND EXPLORER A 2000 MODEL STILL DRIVING, OVER 54,000 MILES, HAD THE REAR ROTORS & BRAKE PADS REPLACED AFTER 44 MONTHS, 33,692 MILES. HAVE LIVED IN THE SAME AREA & DRIVEN THE SAME ROADS WITH ALL 3 VEHICLES. HAVE HAD ESSENTIALLY ALL SERVICE WORK DONE BY THE SELLING FORD DEALER IN ALL 3 INSTANCES. IF THE BRAKE PADS WERE WEARING OUT, & THE ROTORS WERE BEING DAMAGED DUE TO THE WORN PADS, I COULD UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CONDITION WAS DUE TO MY NEGLIGENCE IN NOT ATTENDING TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE BRAKE PADS HAVE NOT BEEN WORN OUT IN EITHER REPLACEMENT SITUATION. THE SERVICE ADVISER & SERVICE MANAGER BOTH CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, AS THE ROTORS CANNOT BE TURNED, RUST IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BRAKE ROTORS, AND FORD REGARDS BRAKE ROTORS AS WEAR COMPONENTS. CORRESPONDENCE THRU FORD'S INTERNET SITE REPEATED ROTORS ARE CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM & CANNOT BE COVERED, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON FOR REPLACEMENT. NO ONE WILL PROVIDE ANY FORD REGIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION FOR DISCUSSION. IT APPEARS TO BE A NO WIN SITUATION WHERE THE MANUFACTURER CAN CLASSIFY A COMPONENT AS A WEAR ITEM & HAVE NO CONSEQUENCES WHEN THE COMPONENT FAILS FOR OTHER NON-WEAR REASONS. *NM