NHTSA Complaint #10440111 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MY NAME IS[XXX] AND I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT (V6). I HAVE OWNED IT FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW (WILL BE IN JAN 2012) AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT UNTIL RECENTLY. ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, I HEARD A STRANGE LOUD WHINING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT REAR WHEEL BEARING WAS GOING. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IF I WOULD HAVE TOOK THE INTERSTATE TO WORK THAT EVENING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DIED OR CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES TO OTHERS ON ROAD. VERY SCARY! MIND YOU THIS BEARING WENT WITH NO WARNING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I HEARD THE NOISE I TOOK IT IN. WELL THE BEARING GOT FIXED AND I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER. HOWEVER, ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DOING ABOUT 70MPH WHEN MY TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I ASSUMED I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A TIRE BLOW-OUT AND BEGAN SLOWLY BREAKING AND LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY I MADE IT ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE. MY TIRE HOWEVER WAS NOT AS LUCKY. ALL 5 STUDS ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SNAPPED CAUSING THE TIRE TO COMPLETELY FLY OFF AND PROCEED DOWN THE ROAD AT A FAST SPEED JUST PASSING THE TURN RAMP AND MISSING SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES. IN THE PROCESS OF LOSING THE TIRE, IT ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO REAR END OF MY SUV. IT LOOKED AS IF THE TIRE GOT CAUGHT AND CAUSED THE REAR TO DENT IN.REPLACED STUDS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. TODAY (DEC.15TH) NOT EVEN AN ENTIRE MONTH LATER, VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AGAIN. OH HOW I REMEMBERED THAT SCARY SHAKE. EXAMINED TIRE AND ONCE AGAIN, STUDS SNAPPED. 2 THIS TIME WITH A THIRD ONE MISSING THE CAP. THE TIRE WAS ONLY HELD BY 2 STUDS. THANK THE LORD I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE GOING ONTO THE INTERSTATE AND ONCE AGAIN HAVING MY TIRE FLY OFF! I HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH THIS EVENING TO FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 02-04 EXPLORERS. PLEASE MAKE A RECALL FORD AND OTHERS HELP ME TO GET ONE MADE! THIS IS A SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION! IT CAN CAUSE THE LOSS OF MANY LIVES AS IT HAS ALMOST DONE MINE AND MY DAUGHTERS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION A