NHTSA Complaint #10574394 — 2005 FORD F-150

AROUND MIDDAY WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I HEARD A VIBRATION COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I DROVE A FEW BLOCKS BACK TO MY OFFICE AND THE VEHICLE SAT UNTIL I LEFT TO GO HOME LATER THAT DAY. A FEW BLOCKS FROM MY OFFICE ALSO WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I HEARD A LOUDER VIBRATION AND THIS TIME A METAL ON METAL CLANKING SOUND. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF INTO A PARKING AREA AND LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO SEE THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD FALLEN FROM ITS CENTER MOUNT. THE TWO PIECE DRIVE SHAFT CARRIER BEARING MOUNTING BRACKET HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION OF THE MOUNTING BRACKET CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO NO LONGER BE MOUNTED TO THE FRAME. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A CITY STREET DRIVING AND ONLY DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHERE I COULD HAVE LOSS DRIVER CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. LESS THAN A YEAR EARLIER, THE VEHICLE FAILED A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO AN EXCESSIVELY CORRODED STEERING SHAFT U JOINT. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS U JOINT COULD FAIL DURING DRIVING CAUSING LOSS OF DRIVER CONTROL. EITHER OF THESE COMPONENT PART FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF, MY PASSENGERS OR OTHERS IN OTHER VEHICLES OR ON OR NEAR THE ROADWAY. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE OTHER NON LIFE SAFETY MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THIS VEHICLE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS CONDITION EXISTS WITH MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROADS TODAY AND ANY OF THOSE DRIVERS COULD EXPERIENCE A FAILURE OF EITHER THE STEERING SHAFT OR THE DRIVE SHAFT AT ANY TIME AND BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR