NHTSA Complaint #11021463 — 2013 FORD F-53

MOTOR HOME WAS PURCHASED NEW IN MAY OF 2013. WHILE DRIVING THIS SUMMER I NOTICED MORE SWAY/ROLL THAN USUAL, SO I RESEARCHED 'FORD F53 CHASSIS- HANDLING ISSUES'. I FOUND THAT A LOT OF OWNERS REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH SOME OF THE BRACKETS ON THE REAR SWAY BARS. SOME HAD LOOSE OR MISSING BOLTS, LOOSE OR BENT OR MISSING BRACKETS ( EITHER SIDE). I WANTED TO SEE IF THIS COULD BE THE ISSUE I WAS HAVING WITH THE NOTICEABLE INCREASE SWAY/ROLL, SO I CRAWLED UNDER RIG TO INSPECT THE BRACKETS ON JULY 3RD, 2017. I FOUND THE SWAY BAR BRACKET ON DRIVERS SIDE, WAS BENT, BROKEN AND HANGING DOWN. THE UPPER BOLT WAS TIGHT AND HOLDING THE OTHER PIECE OF THE BRACKET (ABOUT 1" SQUARE) THE LOWER BOLT WAS LOOSE AND HOLDING THE REST OF THE BENT/BROKEN BRACKET AND THE POLY BUSHING HAD SLID 2"-3" FROM IT'S INSTALLED POSITION. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE BRACKET CAME LOOSE/BROKE BUT I KNEW THAT IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE MH IN THIS STATE, SO I ORDERED THE NEW BRACKET FROM A NEARBY FORD PARTS SUPPLIER AND INSTALLED IT MYSELF. I WILL TRY TO ATTACH PICS OF BROKEN BRACKET AS FIRST DISCOVERED AND PIC OF REPLACEMENT BRACKET RECEIPT. THE FORUM THAT I LEARNED OF THIS PROBLEM WAS 'IRV2' AND HAVE FOUND THAT IT HAS BEEN A ISSUE ON ALL MAKES, MODELS AND YEARS WITH THE FORD F53 CHASSIS. AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO NHTSA ATTENTION. AS A LOT OF OWNERS JUST 'FIX' THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES UNLESS VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE PROBLEM NEVER GETS REPORTED.