NHTSA Complaint #10295029 — 1999 FORD EXPEDITION

THE FLARED PORTION OF THE TERMINATOR FOB ON THE RETAINING/RETRACTING CABLE FOR THE SPARE TIRE FRACTURED AND SEPARATED ON MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION EDDIE BAUER (I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER). *TR AS A RESULT, THE SPARE TIRE AND THE METAL CROSSPIECE RETAINER DROPPED ONTO THE STREET PAVEMENT, AND IN FRONT OF ONCOMING VEHICLES, WHICH SWERVED AND AVOIDED COLLIDING WITH THE LOOSE SPARE TIRE. I AM JUST GLAD, AND FORTUNATE, THAT THE SPARE TIRE DID NOT BOUNCE INTO THE AIR, OR END UP CRASHING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SIMILAR, IF NOT IDENTICAL INCIDENTS OF THIS SPARE TIRE CABLE BREAKAGE POSTED ON THE INTERNET. ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL, THE CRANK MECHANISM IS DRIVEN USING THE JACK HANDLE, AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO "RATCHET" WHEN THE SPARE TIRE BECOMES SNUG AGAINST THE VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE, PREVENTING OVER TENSION ON THE CRANK MECHANISM AND CABLE. UPON INSPECTION, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF RUST, OR CORROSION, OR ATTEMPTED THEFT OR TAMPERING. A SMALL COLLAR PORTION OF THE TERMINATOR FOB REMAINED ON THE CABLE, WHILE FLARED PORTION BROKE AND SLIPPED OFF OF THE END OF THE CABLE. THERE ARE NOT ANY ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES ON THE VEHICLE THAT RETAIN THE SPARE TIRE IN THE EVENT THE CABLE FAILS. DURING THE 2001 FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL, THE DEALER REPLACED ALL FIVE TIRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE SPARE TIRE. OTHERWISE, THE CRANK MECHANISM HAS NOT BEEN USED. I SEARCHED BUT FAILED TO FIND A REPORTED GOVERNMENT RECALL OF THIS CABLE AT HTTP://WWW.RECALLS.GOV/SEARCH.HTML. TO REPAIR THE CABLE END, I CREATED MY OWN TERMINATOR FOB USING AN ELECTRICAL SPLIT-BOLT SIZED TO THE DIAMETER OF THE CABLE. I FASHIONED A J SHAPE IN THE CABLE TO FORM A LOOP AND PLACED A SMALL SCREW THROUGH THE LOOP TO PREVENT PULL-THROUGH, ADDED A FEW DROPS OF BLUE LOCKTITE TO THE THREADS OF THE SPLIT-BOLT, AND CINCHED UP THE SPLIT-BOLT. *TR