NHTSA Complaint #10680787 — 2011 FORD EDGE

BOTH MY WIFE AND I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE LOUD NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE...GROWLING NOISES WHICH BECAME NOTICEABLE AROUND 30 MPH. AS THE SPEED INCREASED, THE NOISE LEVEL DID AS WELL. I WAS TOLD BY A FORD MECHANIC THAT THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (AFTER ONLY APPROX. 32K MILES!). I REPLACED BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS AND THE NOISE DIMINISHED BUT DID NOT TOTALLY GO AWAY. IT STILL VARIES WITH SPEED. WHEN IT'S RAINING, THE NOISE DIMINISHES. WHEN IT'S COLD ( FREEZING OR LOWER) THE NOISE DIMINISHES. IN NEITHER CASE, AFTER THE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED, DID THE NOISE GO AWAY COMPLETELY. WE BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND HAD NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS. DIFFERENT FORD FORUMS STATE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE ARMS THAT SUPPORT THE REAR WHEELS THAT CAUSES THE BEARINGS TO BE ROTATED IN A POSITION THAT CAUSES THEM TO FAIL QUICKLY. TO DATE I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY LITERATURE FROM FORD VERIFYING THIS, YET THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *TR