NHTSA Complaint #10213423 — 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA

FAILURE OF WELD POINT ON WHEEL RIMS CAUSING RAPID AIR LOSS IN TIRES, A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PROBLEM BEGIN WHEN I FOUND TIRE GONE FLAT AFTER DRIVING FROM MILFORD OH, TO MIDDLETOWN OH. TIRE WAS FINE BEFORE I LEFT MILFORD. TIRE HELD AIR FOR ONLY A FEW HOURS AND MY SPARE HAD A CUT IN THE SIDE WALL FROM A TOOL IN THE TRUNK, SO I PUT AIR IN AND TOOK IT BACK HOME. TOOK IT TO THE MILFORD WALMART TIRE AND LUBE CENTER, THEY DISCOVERED THE AIR LEAK AT THE WELD POINT. TOLD THEM TO PUT THE RIM FROM THE SPARE ON... SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME WELD POINT. LOOKED UP ONLINE AN FOUND THERE IS A RECALL. WENT TO FORD DEALERSHIP GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS A RECALL BUT ONLY IF IT IS STILL A POLICE OR FLEET VEHICLE. CALLED CORPORATE CUSTOMER LINE AND WAS TOLD SAME THING AND IT WAS ONLY A DANGER FOR "EXTREME DRIVING" AND THEY COULD NOT REPLACE FOR A CIVILIAN. BOTH RIMS HAVE SPENT TIME ON THE CAR AND I DRIVE IT NORMALLY AND YET TWO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED. I FIND IT SHOCKING THAT A KNOWN DEFECT IS ONLY TO BE REPLACED FOR GOVT AND FLEET BUT NOT CIVILIANS WHO COULD BE IN THE SAME DANGER OF A TIRE FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY. DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CUSTOMER AT THE FORD GARAGE HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS USED CROWN VIC (AND WAS ALSO REFUSED SERVICE) AND HE SUGGESTED I MAKE A COMPLAINT HERE.*CN