NHTSA Complaint #10475897 — 2005 FORD F-250

I STARTED THIS TRIP AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK, I-75 AT EXIT 120. I HAD BEEN DRIVING AN HOUR, HEADING NORTH. THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE LATE AFTERNOON, BETWEEN 5PM AND 6PM, BROAD DAYLIGHT EXCELLENT VISIBILITY, DRY, PARTLY CLOUDY, TRAVELING 65 MPH IN THE CENTER OF THREE LANES. I WAS NOT TIRED NOR DISTRACTED. I WAS NORTHBOUND ON I-75 IN NORTHERN KY WHEN I WENT OVER A MINOR BUMP, JUST ROUGH PAVEMENT. I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THERE WAS NO OBJECT IN THE ROAD. AFTER THE BUMP THE TRUCK BEGAN STEERING ERRATICALLY, WANDERING, MUCH AS IT HAD 4 DAYS EARLIER WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY FORD DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE FRONT U-JOINTS. I SLOWED DOWN, GOT THE TRUCK UNDER CONTROL, TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE. I HEARD A HIGH-PITCHED SCREECHING METAL NOISE. THEN I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER. I WAS ALERT AND VERY AWARE OF ROAD CONDITIONS AND THE TRAFFIC (TWO LANES WERE MERGING FROM THE RIGHT FROM I-275 SO I WAS IN THE CENTER OF FIVE LANES) AND I AM CERTAIN THERE WERE NO OBJECTS IN THE ROAD. THE CONCRETE WAS CLEAR AND SMOOTH. I HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND IT TOOK OFF TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEAR THE TRUCK WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE STEERING WHEEL. I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, MADE MY BODY RIGID AND PULLED UP ON THE STEERING WHEEL FOR MAXIMUM DOWN FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL, I TRAVELED ACROSS BOTH LANES ON MY RIGHT (THE MERGING LANES FROM I-275) AND CAME TO A STOP WITH THE LEFT REAR WHEEL ON THE CONCRETE APRON AND ALL OTHER WHEELS IN THE ROCKY SOIL THAT WAS THE SIDE OF A DITCH WITH A MOUNTAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE TIE ROD END HAD SNAPPED. ONE THEORY IS THAT THE TIE ROD END WAS OVER-HARDENED AND BECAME BRITTLE, POSSIBLY CRACKED, THEN THE NEW U-JOINTS CHANGED THE STRESSES ON IT AND IT SNAPPED. INSURANCE REPORT, CRASH SITE AND PARTS PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. *TR