NHTSA Complaint #10453074 — 1995 FORD F-350

THIS IS REGARDING INABILITY OF AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER (GENTRY FORD - BAKER CITY, OREGON) TO INSPECT AND DETECT A BALL JOINT PROBLEM WHICH WOULD BE EASILY DETECTABLE IN MOST VEHICLES. MY CONCERN IS THAT IMPENDING BALL JOINT FAILURE FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MODEL MAY BE UNDETECTABLE IN SOME INSTANCES EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER SUCH AS GENTRY FORD. PRIOR TO PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE, I TEST DROVE IT. DURING THE SHORT TEST DRIVE I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY SYMPTOMS OF LOOSE BALL JOINTS ALTHOUGH I DID NOTICE SOME WANDERING ON THE FREEWAY BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO LOCAL ROAD CONDITIONS. WHILE DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY I NOTICED THE WANDERING STEERING WAS PRESENT BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO VARYING ROAD CONDITIONS. HALFWAY HOME, SOME SHARP TURNS AT SLOW SPEEDS CAUSED BINDING DURING THE TURN. FINALLY, AFTER ARRIVING HOME AND MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN UPHILL INTO MY DRIVEWAY (1-2 MPH) I REALLY NOTICED THE SEVERITY OF THE BALL JOINT CONDITION. NOT SURE WHAT WAS HAPPENING I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A DIFFERENT LOCAL FORD DEALER WITH A REQUEST TO INSPECT THE FRONT SUSPENSION FOR ANY ADVERSE CONDITIONS. THEIR REPORT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND THEIR VEHICLE INSPECTION REPORT REFLECTED THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS UNSAFE AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION (RED). THE GENTRY FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WAS APPARENTLY UNABLE TO DETECT ANY PROBLEM(S) WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION REPORT DONE ON THE TRUCK 4 DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASE AND HAD CHECKED THE SUSPENSION BLOCK AS (GREEN) INCORRECTLY SHOWING IT WAS SAFE. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT NOT ALL FORD DEALERS MAY BE ABLE TO DETECT AN UNSAFE BALL JOINT CONDITION WHICH MAY REQUIRE A TSB TO INSURE DETECTION OF UNSAFE BALL JOINT CONDITIONS DURING NORMAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS.