NHTSA Complaint #10245719 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

2002 FORD EXPLORER USED FOR NON BUSINESS DRIVING. NO HEAVY LOADS OR TRAILERS. NO OFF ROAD USE. NO INCIDENTS WITH OBJECTS IN ROAD, POT HOLES, OBSTACLES ETC. BOTH REAR SUSPENSION SPRINGS BROKEN. ONE SPRING BROKEN IN 3 PLACES. NOTICED @ 56,500 MILES. SPRINGS HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR A WHILE(RUST ON BREAKS). DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL RECENTLY BROKEN SPRING ON OTHER SIDE ASYMPTOMATIC. THE ONLY IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES TO ME WERE A LARGE REPAIR BILL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE IF I WAS PRESENTED WITH A NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER AND THE FAULTY SUSPENSION CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I REPLACED BOTH REAR SPRINGS AND STRUTS. PARTS IN REPAIR SHOP TRASH. WON'T LAST THERE TOO LONG. REPAIR SHOP REPORTS SEEING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH EXPLORER AND RELATED FORD MODELS. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED MANY PEOPLE HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH NO HISTORY OF ABUSE REPORTED. HAD REAR BRAKES SERVICED AT THE SAME TIME. HAD TO REPLACE SHOE PADS ON PARKING BRAKE BECAUSE THE PADS BOTH FELL OFF. USE PARKING BRAKE INFREQUENTLY. REPAIR SHOP REPORTED SEEING THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY ALSO. *TR