NHTSA Complaint #11011692 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

DRIVING ON A 45 MI/HR ROAD I HIT A MINOR BUMP (APPROX 1" RAISED ROAD ACROSS ALL LANES) DUE TO POOR ROAD MAINTENANCE. AFTER HITTING THIS BUMP THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING NOISE EVERY TIME I TURNED THE WHEEL FULLY LEFT OR RIGHT. I COULD ALSO FEEL THIS IN MY FEET UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I WAS CONCERNED AND HAD PLANS TO DRIVE IT TO THE AUTO SHOP LATER THAT DAY. WHEN TURNING LEFT OUT OF A PARKING LOT IN TOWN, HEADING TO THE SHOP, I NOTICED WHEN I WENT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WHEEL THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A COMPLETE 90 DEGREES OFF FROM NORMAL ONCE I GOT THE VEHICLE GOING STRAIGHT. IT DID NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE AND I HAD IT TOWED INTO THE AUTO SHOP. AFTER INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND TO BE A ROTTED OUT AND CRACKED SUB FRAME. FORD DID A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC PART IN 2014 DUE TO MAJOR CORROSION ISSUES WITH THE 2001-2004 MODELS. THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE RECALL, HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE PART THEY DECIDED IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO DRILL A HOLE IN THE CORRODED PART AND INSTALL A BRACKET ACROSS THE WHOLE SUB FRAME. I DON'T SEE HOW WEAKENING A CORRODED PART WITH A HOLE BEING DRILLED IN IT IS ANY SOLUTION. I AM NOT ALONE THINKING THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT FORD IS COMPLETELY IGNORING. IF THE SUB FRAME HAD FAILED WHEN I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF EXITING THE PARKING LOT I COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AS THE SUB FRAME HOLDS THE WHEEL AND STEERING MECHANISM TOGETHER. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLES SERIOUSLY AS THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLES LIVES IN DANGER.