NHTSA Complaint #11045376 — 2017 FORD F-350 SD

I WENT TO PICK UP MY TRAILER IN MY BRAND NEW (1000 MILES) 2017 FORD 350 SUPER DUTY TRUCK. I WAS UNABLE TO ATTACH MY EXISTING STANDARD TRAVEL TRAILER SAFETY CHAINS TO THE TRUCK PROPERLY. THE 2017 FORD SUPER DUTY 2 1/2" 15K HITCH SIMPLY DOES NOT ALLOW THE PROPER CONNECTION OF ANY STANDARD TRAVEL TRAILER SAFETY CHAIN. THE INDUSTRY STANDARD SIZE OF CLEVIS HOOK ON TRAVEL TRAILERS IS 5/16". NONE WILL SAFELY CONNECT AND CLOSE AROUND THIS PARTICULAR FACTORY HITCH. THE NEXT SIZE UP OF THESE HOOKS IS 3/8", AND IT IS TOO LARGE TO FIT THROUGH THE OPENING FREELY. THE HITCH IS RATED AT 15000 POUNDS. THERE IS NO WAY SAFETY HOOKS RATED TO THAT WEIGHT WILL ATTACH IN THESE SMALL ODDLY SHAPED HOLES. I HAVE NOW TRIED 4 DIFFERENT (PROPERLY RATED) HOOKS. NONE WILL ATTACH PROPERLY TO THIS FACTORY HITCH. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY NO RECOMMENDATIONS TO SAFELY ATTACH THE CHAINS. I EVEN TRIED SEARCHING FOR WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE TO SOLVE THIS ON THE INTERNET. PEOPLE ARE RANDOMLY SELECTING ITEMS, PROPERLY RATED OR NOT, TO ATTACH THEIR SAFETY CHAINS, BECASUE THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SOLUTION. FAILURE TO PROPERLY CONNECT TRAILER SAFETY CHAINS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS COULD LEAD TO TRAILERS BREAKING FREE OF THE TOW VEHICLE. I APOLOGIZE, BUT I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE WITH THE 5/16" HOOKS. SUFFICE TO SAY THEY WILL GO THROUGH THE HOLES, BUT ARE FURTHER FROM BEING ABLE TO CLIP SAFELY THAN THE LARGER 3/8" HOOKS. NOTE: THE OPTIONAL/LARGER FORD 3" 22K HITCH HAS LARGER HOLES AND ALLOWS PROPER CONNECTION OF INDUSTRY STANDARD TRAVEL TRAILER SAFETY CHAINS.