NHTSA Complaint #10715818 — 2012 FORD MUSTANG

WHILE DRIVING OVER ROUGH OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT, A VERY AUDIBLE RATTLE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, MOST NOTICEABLY WITH THE STEERING CENTERED. THE CAR ALSO HAS SOME UNSTABLE CHARACTERISTICS, TENDING TO PULL MUCH MORE STRONGLY TOWARDS ANY LINES OR CROWNS THAN NORMAL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO ISOLATE THE NOISE TO THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR WITH "CHASSIS EARS", BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE. ALL FRONT END COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. FORD ENGINEERS WERE CONTACTED, AND REPORTED BACK THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL AND THE CAR WAS RETURNED UNREPAIRED. LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED UNDER TSB 13-9-3. SERVICE DESCRIPTION READS: "FRONT SUSPENSION TECH XXXX VERIFIED CUSTOMER CONCERN AND FOUND THE THERE (SIC) IS A NOISE FOUND IN LEFT FRONT WHEN ON A GRAVEL ROAD. USED CHASSIS EAR AND FOUND LEFT FRONT HYDRO BUSHING TO MAKE NOISE. REPLACED LEFT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM PER TSB 13-9-3 OP CODE 130903A. ALSO FOUND LEFT OUTER TIE ROD BOLT STRETCHED. REPLACED LEFT FRONT TIE ROD AND PERFORMED 2 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. NOISE IS STILL PRESENT. CHECKED WITH HOTLINE, NOISE IS CHARACTERISTIC. DROVE ANOTHER LIKE CAR AND FOUND NOISE IS CHARACTERISTIC." THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO BECOME WORSE, AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BECOME INVOLVED. RETURNED TO LOCAL DEALER, SAID THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, AND THAT THE NOISE AND INSTABILITY IS NORMAL. NO OTHER DEALER WITHIN 100 MILES WILL LOOK AT THE VEHICLE, AND THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE GONE UNREPAIRED.