NHTSA Complaint #10242979 — 2003 FORD EXPLORER

ONE OF THE RIMS ON OUR FORD EXPLORER FELL OFF THE CAR AT HIGH SPEED AND, ACCORDING TO FORD, IT CAME WITHIN SECONDS OF FALLING OFF ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION (ALSO AT HIGH SPEED). THESE ARE THE FACTORY RIMS THAT CAME WITH THE CAR WHEN WE BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2003. THE DEALER HAS NOW DETERMINED THAT THE RIMS ARE SO RUSTED THAT WHEN THEY ARE REMOVED FOR SERVICE AND THEN REPLACED WITHOUT HAVING THE RUST REMOVED, THE SURFACE OF THE RIM IS ROUGH AND DOES NOT "MATE" PROPERLY AGAINST THE HUB. EVENTUALLY, THE RUSTED MATERIAL STARTS TO FLAKE OFF, WHICH CAUSES THE RIM TO LOOSEN AGAINST THE HUB AND THE LUGS TO SNAP OFF. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BY FORD UNTIL AFTER THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT (JULY 4, 2008). THE RIMS HAVE BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2005, WHEN THE CAR WAS TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY (WE ALSO HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT EXPIRED A FEW MONTHS AGO). DESPITE HAVING THE CAR SERVICED AT FORD DEALERS AT LEAST 11 TIMES BETWEEN SEPTEMBER OF 2005 AND JULY OF THIS YEAR, NOBODY EVER TOLD US THAT THE RIMS WERE SO DEFECTIVE THAT THEY COULD FALL OFF AT ANY TIME. OUR DEALER HAS OFFERED TO PAY HALF THE COST OF NEW RIMS, BUT WE REFUSE TO PAY A SINGLE CENT. WE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROBLEM, WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED OUR FAMILY TWICE. *TR