NHTSA Complaint #10367608 — 2003 FORD EXPLORER

AT 110000 MILES WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND HEARD "BUMPING, RUMBLING SOUND", CAR WAS NOT HANDLING WELL, GOT OFF AT NEXT EXIT 1 MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN RIGHT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF VEHICLE. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY NOTED THAT THE WHEEL STUDS WERE BAD AND THE WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD, REPLACED BOTH. AT 140000 MILES WAS DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND HEARD SAME SOUND, STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND FOUND THAT LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS LOOSE. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT THEY FOUND RUST ON THE ROTORS/LUGS/WHEEL, CLEANED IT AND RETORQUED WHEELS TO 130 FT LBS, STATED THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES!! AT 151000 HEARD SAME SOUND, I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE ROAD AT 30 MPH, STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS LOOSE AGAIN (TIRES HAD BEEN ROTATED, SO THIS IS NOT THE SAME WHEEL AS PREVIOUSLY). DEALERSHIP AGAIN CLEANED THE ROTORS/LUGS/WHEEL AND RETORQUED WHEELS TO 125 FT LBS THIS TIME AND STATED THAT WITH SOME OF THE PREVIOUS PROBLEMS THEY WERE ATTRIBUTING IT TO DELAMINATION OF A COATING ON THE ALUMINUM WHEELS, BUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF WHEEL. BY LUCK AND CAREFUL MONITORING WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH THIS ISSUE - YET! A FRONT WHEEL FALLING OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD LIKELY BE DEADLY. THERE ARE REPEATED REPORTS ON THIS PROBLEM, IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENCE. THE ONLY TIME THE WHEEL STUDS WERE SHEARED AND BEARINGS WERE BAD IS WHEN I DID NOT CATCH IT IN TIME AND THE WHEEL ACTUALLY CAME OFF, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS THE SAME THOUGH, THE WHEEL FALLING OFF IS CAUSING THE STUDS TO SHEAR AND BEARINGS TO GO.