NHTSA Complaint #10639646 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

I PURCHASED MY 2013 FORD EXPLORER TWO YEARS AGO. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 I COULDN'T START MY CAR. I HAD THE AUTO CLUB JUMP THE BATTERY AND THEN TOOK IT IN IMMEDIATELY TO MY MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. UPON EXAMINATION, HE DETERMINED THAT THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL HAD EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND THE CORROSION WAS SO BAD THAT THE BATTERY CLAMP HAD TOTALLY ERODED. THIS REQUIRED NOT ONLY REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY BUT THE BATTERY CABLES. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE ENTIRE CABLING MECHANISM WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $400 AND THAT THE LABOR WOULD BE EXTENSIVE BECAUSE OF THE WAY FORD ENGINEERED THE CONNECTION. (THE MECHANIC HAD TO DISASSEMBLE VARIOUS COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE AREA TO MAKE THE CONNECTION). THE ENTIRE COST OF REPLACING THE BATTERY WAS OVER $1,000. ALSO, I WAS INFORMED THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME HE BECAME AWARE OF OTHERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND IN ONE CASE THE BATTERY EXPLODED. THANKFULLY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN MY CASE. I'VE HAD SEVERAL EXPLORERS OVER THE YEARS AS WELL AS OTHER MAKES AND MODELS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A BATTERY THAT CORRODED TO THIS EXTENT AND CERTAINLY NOT IN A VEHICLE JUST 2 YEARS OLD. I MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE REGULARLY AND WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED. I WONDER IF FORD HAS DESIGNED THIS ENTIRE BATTERY FAILURE AND CONFIGURATION SO AS TO CREATE MORE REPAIR BUSINESS. WHILE NO INJURY OCCURRED WITH ME, IT IS PERHAPS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE DOES ENCOUNTER A DANGEROUS SITUATION. . *TR