NHTSA Complaint #10981229 — 2005 FORD F-150

2005 FORD F150, ONLY 85,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE OVERALL EXTERIOR BODY OF TRUCK HAS ZERO RUST AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE MAIN "FRAME" OF THE TRUCK, WHICH SUPPORTS ALL THE WEIGHT AND STRUCTURE OF THE TRUCK IS RUSTED THROUGH. I LIVE IN WISCONSIN AND HAVE OWNED MANY FORDS, AND OTHER TRUCKS. NEVER HAVE I HAD A FRAME OF A TRUCK RUST OUT LIKE THIS. THESE TRUCK SHOULD LAST 200,000 MILES +, AND I HAVE DONE JUST THAT ON PREVIOUS VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WITH THE BODY HAVING ZERO RUST, IT IS OUT OF THE NORM TO SEE THIS FRAME RUSTED THROUGH WITH HOLES IN THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THE FRAME. I WAS ADVISED BY MULTIPLE AUTO SHOPS THIS CAN NOT BE WELD REPAIRED DUE TO SAFETY STANDARDS. FURTHER, IN ORDER TO FIX THE ISSUE AND MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE, THE ENTIRE FRAME MUST BE REPLACED. BEING THIS TRUCK ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES ON IT, I FIND IT ABSURD THAT THIS IS EVEN AN ISSUE. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS SORT OF CORROSION ON THE UNDER BODY, AND YET THE QUARTER PANELS, TAILGATE, BUMPER ARE ALL ZERO RUST. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS A METALLURGICAL DEFECT IN THE STEEL USED FOR THIS FRAME. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS POSTINGS BY OTHERS OWNING THE 2005 MODEL AND MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. FRAME RUSTING OUT BEFORE IT EVEN HITS 100,000 MILES, AND THESE ARE DAILY DRIVERS. AS OF NOW, THIS VEHICLE IS DEEMED UNSAFE BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, AND EVEN THE MASTER TECHNICIAN ON SITE WAS PERPLEXED BY THE UNDERCARRIAGE CORRODING AS IT HAD, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OTHERWISE "CLEAN" INSIDE AND OUT, WITH NO RUST.