NHTSA Complaint #10230394 — 2005 FORD F-250 SD

2005 FORD F250 4X4, 4 DOOR, AUTO, 5.4L GAS, APPROX. 39K MI. TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEED, IN A SWEEPING LEFT HAND CURVE, CROSSING ROUGH PAVEMENT, A SEVERE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AND FRONT WHEEL SHIMMY COMMENCED, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INVOLUNTARY RAPID LANE CHANGE AND NEAR ACCIDENT. I SLOWED TO 25 MPH IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. LIVING IN FL AND WORKING IN SC AT THE TIME, I WAS FORCED TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS IN THE COLUMBIA, SC AND BARTOW, FL AREAS. ON THE ADVICE OF VARIOUS FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, I REPLACED TIRES, WHEELS, BALL JOINTS, SHOCKS (TWICE), STEERING STABILIZER, HAD MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS AND WHEEL BALANCES PERFORMED. AS I WAS STRANDED OUT-OF-TOWN WITH A TRUCK THAT WAS HANDLING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, I SPENT APPROXIMATELY $4,500 IN PARTS REPLACEMENTS BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS REMEDIED. THREE FORD DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM EXISTED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN WARRANTY. FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER PERSONNEL, 800-392-3673, EMPLOYED BLATANT STALLING TACTICS UNTIL MY ODOMETER HAD PASSED 40,000 MILES, THEN REFUSED TO RENDER ANY ASSISTANCE. MORE THAN ONE YEAR LATER, I AM WAITING FOR A CALL FROM A REGIONAL FORD SERVICE MANAGER, SUPPOSEDLY ARRANGED THROUGH A COLUMBIA, SC FORD DEALER. I HAVE RECEIVED HIGH SPEED DRIVING INSTRUCTION AT TWO DIFFERENT POLICE ACADEMY COURSES. I HAVE DRIVEN DOZENS OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS OVER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES. I KNOW A DANGEROUS VEHICLE DEFECT WHEN I SEE ONE. THIS FORD SUSPENSION PROBLEM PRESENTS A LIFE THREATENING CONDITION THAT IS WELL KNOWN BY FORD. NOT ONLY HAS FORD NOT RECALLED THESE VEHICLES, THEIR SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE ENGAGING IN A CAMPAIGN OF DENIAL AND DECEPTION. *TR