NHTSA Complaint #10401367 — 2002 FORD F-150

BOTH THE REAR SPRING SHACKLES AS WELL AS THE BRAKE LINES HAVE FAILED ON MY 02 FORD F150 DUE TO RUST AND THIS IS A COMMON CONCERN. I AM A SENIOR MASTER TECHNICIAN FOR FORD AND WE REPAIR THESE ON A REGULAR BASIS DUE TO RUST. BOTH ARE CLEAR SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN THEY FAIL AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. AND WITH THE FORD WINDSTAR AXLES AND SUBFRAMES BEING COVERED BY A RECALL DUE TO RUST I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OTHER RUST RELATED SAFETY CONCERNS ARE NOT RECALLED. IF ONE RUST RELATED CONCERN IS RECALLED THEN ALL OTHERS SHOULD BE AS WELL, IT SHOULD BE ALL OR NONE. ON THE REAR SPRING SHACKLES, THEY WILL SNAP IN HALF AND THE REAR EYELET OF THE LEAF SPRING JAMS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK BED, WITH THE BED BEING THE ONLY THING KEEPING MAJOR DAMAGE OR AN ACCIDENT FROM HAPPENING. ON THE FRONT BRAKE LINES, THE RUST AND SWELL UP UNDER THE RUBBER PART OF THE LINE WHERE THE LOWER STEEL LINE IS INSERTED INTO THE RUBBER. ON HARD BRAKE APPLICATION THE LINE BLOWS AND YOU LOSE FRONT BRAKES. BOTH ARE COMMON CONCERNS ON TRUCKS IN NEW ENGLAND WHERE RUST IS A PART OF LIFE. IF I WASN'T A TECH THAT DRIVES VEHICLES WITH FAILED BRAKES AND BROKEN SUSPENSIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS, BOTH OF THESE FAILURES COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND LIKELY INJURIES. *TR