NHTSA Complaint #10245396 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, REAR, BOTH SIDES. AT 40,000 MILES, AND AGAIN AT 86,000 MILES. NORMAL DRIVING, PRIMARILY HIGHWAY. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING TO OCCUPANTS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE, AS WELL AS ANY VEHICLES IN PROXIMITY DURING BEARING FAILURE. LOSS OF CONTROL CAN, AND PROBABLY WILL RESULT. PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE IS COMMON ON THESE VEHICLES. THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS SLOWLY SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THE DANGER TO SELF AND FAMILY REGARDING THIS. I WISH I HAD KNOWN EARLIER, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE MANUFACTURER TO SELL A VEHICLE WITH THIS PREDISPOSITION TO FAILURE. I WORK IN AEROSPACE, AND THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH FAILURE ANALYSIS DURING THE DESIGN PHASE. I WILL NOW BEGIN ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ANYONE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO IN AN EFFORT TO GET THEM TO FILE A COMPLAINT AS WELL. EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HEAR US. MAYBE THE MEDIA WILL GET INVOLVED, THEY LOVE THIS KIND OF STUFF, ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN DRAG GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENCE INTO IT. I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THIS. YOU JUST DON'T THINK ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED YET, SO IT GETS IGNORED. I'M GOING TO START TRYING TO CHANGE THAT. MAYBE NOTHING WILL HAPPEN, MAYBE IT WILL BECOME A GIANT MESS, WHO KNOWS? EITHER WAY, I CAN'T LET THIS GO WITHOUT SAYING SOMETHING. THIS THING IS MARKETED AND SOLD AS A FAMILY VEHICLE, AND THERE IS NO WAY ON EARTH I WILL EVER PUT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN INTO IT AGAIN. AND MY CONSCIENCE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO JUST TRADE IT OR SELL IT WITH THIS ISSUE BEING EXPOSED, JUST TO GET RID OF MY PROBLEM AND PASS THE RISK ONTO SOME OTHER FAMILY. HERE'S A LINK, IF YOU WANT TO SEE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE OFTEN THAN WE'D ALL LIKE TO ADMIT: < HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/2002/WHEELS_HUBS/WHEEL_BEARING_FAILURE.SHTML > YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF THIS WITH A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. I WISH I'D DONE THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT THIS DEATHTRAP. WHETHER YOU DO SOMETHING OR NOT, I HAVE NO SAY IN THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO EXPOSE IT. *TR