NHTSA Complaint #10410141 — 1994 FORD E-150

I PURCHASED THIS 1994 FORD E-150 CLUBWAGON FROM A PRIVATE OWNER IN 08/2008, IT WAS AND STILL IS IN BETTER THAN GOOD CONDITION. IT HAD A RECALL TO REPLACE A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS WHICH WAS DONE IN 12/2008. IN EARLY SPRING OF 2009, I JUST BOUGHT A NEW SET OF TIRES AND GOT A FRONT END ALIGNMENT, ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR ON A BUSY FOUR LANE STREET, WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND MY VAN BEGAN TO SHAKE VERY VIOLENTLY. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS PASSING A REPAIR SHOP, I GOT THE VAN UNDER CONTROL AND PULL IN. BEING A CERTIFIED MECHANIC MYSELF I BEGAN TO EXAMINE THE STEERING LINKAGE, EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, WHEN THE SHOP MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE LOWER STEERING GEARBOX BOLT HAD WENT THROUGH THE FRAME AND HAD BROKE AT THE THREADS. AFTER PUTTING IT IN THE SHOP A FEW TIMES, WITH SHORT TERM SUCCESS, THAT PARTICULAR AREA OF THE FRAME CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS. WHAT STARTED OUT AS A SMALL HOLE, AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS AT THE SHOP, HAS NOW BECOME LARGER. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL FORD DEALER ABOUT A RECALL, THERE WAS NONE. I'VE WORKED AS A MECHANIC FOR MANY YEARS, AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE, I HAVE A FEW THEORIES ON THE SUBJECT, POSSIBLY AN OVER TORQUED GEARBOX AND/OR A VERY WEAK FRAME. BUT NEVERTHELESS FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR BECOMES A FATALITY. BECAUSE THIS DEFECT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND WITHOUT WARNING. *TR