NHTSA Complaint #10263573 — 2004 FORD F-150

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-35 IN THE RAIN WHEN A LOUD BANG STARTLED ME. I NOTICED RIGHT AWAY THAT MY 2 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS CRYING AND HER WINDOW WAS DOWN WITH RAIN POURING IN. I HAD TO PULL OVER IN TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE RAIN TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM. THE BANG HAD SCARED HER AND SHE WAS GETTING WET. WE MOVED THE CARSEAT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE WINDOW UP. MY WIFE HAD TO HOLD IT UP WITH HER HAND ALL THE WAY HOME. FROM THE SOUND OF THAT BANG I AM SUPRISED THE WINDOW DIDN'T SHATTER. IF IT WOULD HAVE MY LITTLE GIRL COULD HAVE LOST AN EYE OR BEEN CUT BADLY. I WAS ABLE TO LOOK AT IT TODAY AND IT SEEMS THAT THE LITTLE CABLE THAT PULLS THE WINDOW UP HAS BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE PLASTIC PULLEY IT WINDS UP ON. I HAVE DONE A BIT OF RESEARCH TONIGHT AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY TEND TO KEEP PLENTY OF THESE WINDOW REGULATORS IN STOCK. MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON THESE WEBSITES HAVE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES. ONE HAD REPLACED ALL FOUR WINDOW REGULATORS ON HIS F-150. THE PROBLEMS STARTED WHEN THEY CHANGED FROM A SOLID METAL SCISSORS TYPE TO THIS MOUSE TRAP LOOKING THING WITH PLASTIC PULLEYS. THE ENGINEER THAT DESIGNED THIS THING SHOULD HAVE HIS P.E. LICENSE REVOKED. IT IS A TERRIBLE PIECE OF ENGINEERING. FORD SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM AND DO A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ONE OF THESE WINDOWS SHATTERS AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND THROWS GLASS INTO THE FACE OF A SMALL CHILD. *TR