NHTSA Complaint #10464267 — 2004 FORD F-150

ON 25 MARCH 2011, I ENCOUNTERED A LOUD POP IN THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER-SIDE OF MY 2004 FORD F-150 REGULAR CAB TRUCK, AND THE WINDOW DISAPPEARED INTO THE DOOR FRAME. I REMOVED THE DOOR PANEL AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CABLE MECHANISM WITHIN THE WINDOW REGULATOR HAD FAILED. WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY I TURNED THE TRUCK INTO MY FORD DEALER TO HAVE THE WINDOW REGULATOR REPAIRED, AND RECEIVED A REPAIR BILL OF $301.86 (THE REGULATOR ALONE COST $159.36); THE FORD ADVISOR STATED THAT THEY HAD THE PART IN STOCK SINCE THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. I DID NOT INSPECT THE REGULATOR TO DETERMINE WHY THE CABLE MECHANISM HAD FAILED. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I VISITED WWW.NHTSA.GOV TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM, AND LEARNED THAT MORE THAN 240 OTHER 2004 FORD TRUCK OWNERS HAD EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN ONE DOOR OR THE OTHER IN THEIR TRUCKS. AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED WHEN INFERIOR PARTS ARE INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE, SUCH AS THE WINDOW REGULATORS IN THE 2004 FORD TRUCKS, THE PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR ALSO FAILED. IN THE SECOND INSTANCE I DETERMINED THAT A SMALL, CHEAP PIECE OF MOLDED PLASTIC ON THE WINDOW REGULATOR HAD FAILED BECAUSE OF THE IMMENSE PRESSURE APPLIED TO IT WHEN THE WINDOW WAS BEING RAISED. DETAILS OF THAT FAILURE ARE LISTED ELSEWHERE ON THIS WEBSITE. *TR