NHTSA Complaint #10660693 — 2008 FORD FUSION

2008 FUSION SE-V6 AWD MODEL (FWD + IT HAS A DRIVE SHAFT THAT GOES TO THE REAR WHEELS FOR AWD). SEVERAL MILES BEFORE I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE BELOW PROBLEM THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A HOWLING/WHIRRING NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE ONLY WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION WHICH GOT LOUDER AS THE SPEED INCREASED. IMY FORD DEALER TOLD ME THE NOISE WAS BECAUSE OF A BAD DRIVESHAFT AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED ASAP AS DRIVING IT THE WAY IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY CAR HAD JUST COME OUT THE MANUFACTURER'S 60,000 MILE WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT PLEASED TO LEARN THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $1103.35 FOR THE REPAIR. THE DEALER TRIED TO GET FORD TO OK THE REPAIR UNDER MY JUST EXPIRED WARRANTY. IF THE SHAFT SUDDENLY FAILED, IT COULD CAUSE CONTROL PROBLEMS SO IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE PARTICULARLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I FOUND THAT FORD WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND EVEN ISSUED AN INTERNAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # TSB 08-14-1 STATING THAT THE OEM DRIVESHAFTS ON THE 2008 FORD FUSION AWD MODELS WERE NOT "KEYED" CORRECTLY WHEN MANUFACTURED AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL AND DISLODGE FROM THE VEHICLE. A REVISED SHAFT WAS MANUFACTURED AND SHOULD BE USED TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE SHAFTS. FORD KNEW OF THE POTENTIALLY PART FAILURE BUT RATHER THAN NOTIFY THE OWNERS OR HAVE A SAFETY RECALL, THEY CHOSE TO KEEP IT "IN-HOUSE" AND ONLY FIX IT WHEN THE OWNERS REPORTED IT. SINCE THE MOST FAILURES SEEMED TO OCCUR NEAR THE 60,000 MILE POINT (MINE WAS JUST OVER THAT), FORD CHOSE TO ADOPT A "WAIT AND SEE" ATTITUDE ON THIS PROBLEM/SAFETY ISSUE. SINCE THE SHAFT REPAIR ONE YEAR AGO, I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE DISTRICT FORD REPRESENTATIVE AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF FORD, ALAN [XXX] ABOUT HOW THIS WAS HANDLED BUT TO NO AVAIL. I AM SHOCKED AND DISMAYED THAT FORD WOULD TREAT ITS CUSTOMERS THIS WAY (I OWN 3 FORDS) AND THE WAY THEY HANDLED THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR