NHTSA Complaint #11123838 — 2011 FORD F-150

THE SPEAKER WENT OUT IN MY BACK LEFT DOOR, SO I TOOK THE DOOR APART TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I TESTED THE SPEAKER AND IT WORKED FINE, SO I STARTED WORKING MY WAY BACK THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS. WHEN I TOUCHED THE HARNESS WHERE IT GOES FROM THE DOOR TO THE BODY (IN THE DOOR JAM) THE SPEAKER STARTED WORKING. I REMOVED THE HARNESS FROM THE DOOR AND PULLED BACK THE RUBBER BOOT IN THE DOOR JAM. EVERYTHING WAS STILL WRAPPED IN FACTORY HARNESS WRAP, AND WHEN I EXPOSED THE WIRES, THE SPEAKER WIRES WERE SEVERED AND MOST OF THE WIRES IN THE BUNDLE HAD CRACKED INSULATION. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF BEING PINCHED OR DAMAGED EXTERNALLY, AND I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THIS WAS JUST FROM THE BENDING MOTION EVERY TIME THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND CLOSED. I BUILD CUSTOM AUTOMATED MACHINES FOR A LIVING AND WE ALWAYS USE FLEX RATED CABLE FOR APPLICATIONS LIKE THIS. SO THIS LOOKS LIKE THEY USED CHEAP WIRE WITH INSULATION THAT IS NOT RATED FOR THE NUMBER OF BEND CYCLES A DOOR GOES THROUGH. LUCKILY THE POWER WIRES FOR THE WINDOW REGULATOR AND DOOR SWITCH HAD NOT SHORTED OUT DESPITE THE COPPER BEING EXPOSED. I AM VERY CONCERNED THE REST OF MY DOORS ARE SUFFERING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS COULD LEAD TO NOT BEING ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR, NOT BEING ABLE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW IN AN EMERGENCY, OR EVEN A FIRE IF THE POWER WIRES SHORTED OUT.