NHTSA Complaint #10189160 — 2001 FORD F-150

THERE AREN'T ANY REAL EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE. I TOOK MY TRUCK INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (GARY CROSSLEY FORD) TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL RECALL WORK DONE. WHILE THERE I ASKED TO HAVE A STATE INSPECTION DONE AS WELL. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT WERE SOMEWHAT LOOSE AND WOULD NEED REPLACING - SO I HAD THEM DO THAT AS WELL AS FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL (THIS TRUCK ONLY HAD 62,000 MILES ON IT). FOLLOWING THAT IT PASSED INSPECTIONS - ALL WAS WELL. NOT EVEN ONE MONTH LATER (POSSIBLY ONLY 3 WEEKS) I TRIED BACKING FROM MY PARKING SPOT AT WORK AND HEARD A *THUNK* FROM THE REAR END. NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS I BACKED UP MORE AND HEARD IT AGAIN. PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE AND THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH. I PARKED IT AND CALLED A TOW RIG TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. UPON HEARING FROM THEM THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS TOLD THE CARRIER BEARING IN THE REAR END HAD "EXPLODED" AND I'D NEED TO REPLACE MOST EVERYTHING IN THE REAR END. AGREED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. GOT A CALL A DAY LATER TELLING ME THAT PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER - THE *THUNKING* WAS STILL THERE AND WAS LIKELY THE TRANSMISSION. HAD THEM CHECK AND SURE ENOUGH, IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. FINDING OUT THAT FORD WAS GOING TO "COVER" PART OF THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR MADE ME WONDER IF THERE WEREN'T UNDERLYING PROBLEMS THAT I WAS NOT, AS AN OWNER, ALERTED TO. THE TRUCK NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE THESE, AND I'VE BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT SINCE. *TR