NHTSA Complaint #10407009 — 2005 FORD MUSTANG

UPON FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED OWNER'S MANUAL WHICH STATES "TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE, PULL THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE UP AS FAR AS POSSIBLE", I EXPERIENCED A LOUD POPPING SOUND FOLLOWED BY THE INABILITY TO USE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED PARKING BRAKE SINCE THE CABLES HAD BEEN SNAPPED. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO THE PARKING BRAKE/PARKING BRAKE CABLES WITH 2005 FORD MUSTANGS, BUT IT APPEARS THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH FORD HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE INEFFICIENCY OF THESE CABLES BY REPLACING THEM IN THE 2007 AND LATER MUSTANG MODELS. THE RUBBER COATING OF THESE CABLES IS APPARENTLY INEFFICIENT IN KEEPING MOISTURE AND WATER OUT OF THE CABLE ITSELF AS EXPRESSED BY MANY UNHAPPY FORD MUSTANG OWNERS, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED MY CABLES TO RUST AND EVENTUALLY SNAP. I FIND IT EXTREMELY ALARMING THAT THIS IS SUCH A PREVALENT COMPLAINT YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM BY EITHER FORD OR THE NHTSA. HAD THE OWNER'S MANUAL ISSUED BY FORD NOT SAID "PULL THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE UP AS FAR AS POSSIBLE" MY ISSUE AND POSSIBLY MANY OTHERS WOULD NOT HAVE COME TO FRUITION, SINCE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SECURE MY VEHICLE BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS MY PARKING BRAKE CABLES BROKE AS A RESULT OF THE FAULTY RUBBER COATING. ALSO, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE I WOULD HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM HAD THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATED TO ONLY RAISE THE PARKING BRAKE UNTIL A FAIR AMOUNT OF TENSION IS FELT. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE I EXPERIENCED WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY BEEN INEVITABLE GIVEN THE NUMEROUS ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS ALREADY SURROUNDING THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND CABLE, SO LUCKILY I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE SUFFERING ANY INJURIES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY UNFAIR TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REPAIR ON THE CONSUMER WHEN THE MANUFACTURER COULD HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO FIX THIS ISSUE, AND HAS DONE SO IN LATER MODELS. *TR