NHTSA Complaint #11217623 — 2009 FORD F-150

THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT BETWEEN TRANSFER CASE AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS HELD BY A DRIVE SHAFT BRACKET/BEARING WHERE THE TOP OF IT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER. DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE POORLY WELDED BRACKET CAME LOOSE. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURE THE WELD WAS POORLY DONE AND HAD NO PENETRATION INTO THE METAL. THE METAL WAS NOT TORN AT ALL AND BROKE COMPLETELY CLEAN OFF WHICH DICTATE A VERY POOR JOB ON THE WELD ITSELF. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THIS PART IS BASICALLY A DUAL SHARP BLADES AT THE WELD BREAK, CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT AT FAST RPMS WOULD TAKE LITTLE TO NO TIME TO PUNCTURE AND IGNITE THE NEAR BY FUEL TANK. AS I WAS TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEEDS I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE RIGHT AWAY. IF THIS BREAK OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I FEEL THAT IT WOULD HAVE EASILY PUNCTURED THE FUEL TANK AND IGNITED THE FUEL CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FIRE AND PROBABLE EXPLOSION THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH.