NHTSA Complaint #10522364 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

VEHICLE BEGINS TO VIBRATE AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN OVER 35 MPH DURING OR AFTER SNOW STORMS WITH WET HEAVY SNOW ON ROAD (SOMETIMES CAUSED BY SALTING ROADWAY). WHEEL WELL OPENING AROUND ALL FOUR TIRES ARE SO SMALL AND ENCLOSED, SNOW ACCUMULATES INTO SOLID ICE AROUND ALL FOUR TIRES AND BOTH AXLES BEGIN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. DRIVER EITHER STOPS EVERY 8-10 MILES ALONG SIDE BUSY HIGHWAY TO CHOP ICE OUT (TAKES ME 40 MINUTES FOR ALL FOUR TIRE OPENINGS), SLOWS HIGHWAY TRAFFIC DOWN TO 30 MPH, OR GOES TO FORD DEALER. LOCAL DEALER SEES 6-10 OF THESE VEHICLES A DAY AND CHOPS ICE OUT AT NO CHARGE AND MAKES NO WORK ORDER HISTORY. TRAVELING AT ONLY 35 MPH WHEN TRAFFIC IS GOING 55 OR 70 MPH IS DANGEROUS. STOPPING EVERY 8-15 MINUTES ALONG BUSY HIGHWAY TO CHOP ICE WITH BACK TO PASSING TRAFFIC IS DANGEROUS. DEALERS DO NOT INFORM POTENTIAL BUYERS OF THE ICE PROBLEM. FORD HAS THIS DESIGN DEFECT PROBLEM WITH MORE THAN ONE MAKE OF VEHICLE, KNOWS ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS, BUT WILL NOT SPONSOR A SOLUTION. PERSONALLY, ALONG WITH CLEARING THE ICE ON M-115 AS I GO TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT IN TRAVERSE CITY, CHOPPING ICE HURTS MY BONE ON BONE SHOULDERS AND THE LOWER THREE VERTEBRAE OF MY BACK THAT NO LONGER HAVE A DISC BETWEEN THEM. THE SLIPPERY SIDE OF ROAD IS DANGEROUS FOR MY TWO ARTIFICIAL HIPS AND IS SIMPLY NOT SAFE TO MY PERSON AND SLOWS DOWN SOME PASSING VEHICLES THAT MAY SLIP AND SLIDE INTO ME OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC OF THE ONLY 2 LANE HIGHWAY. NORTHERN MICHIGAN IS GETTING UNNECESSARILY MORE DANGEROUS IN THE WINTER TIME. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE INCIDENTS AND THE INCIDENT DATE ABOVE IS ONLY APPROXIMATE.