NHTSA Complaint #11220902 — 2014 FORD F-550 SD

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A WINDING COUNTRY ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY NOTICE LARGE VOLUME SMOKE COMING FROM TRUCK. IT WAS A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A TRANSMISSION COOLANT LINE, FITTING SIMPLY CAME APART, SPEWING TRANSMISSION FLUID ON HOT EXHAUST AND UNDERNEATH VEHICLE, NEARLY CAUSING A FIRE AND DISABLING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ON SIDE OF ROADWAY UNABLE TO MOVE TO SAFETY. FLUID ON ROADWAY COULD CAUSE UPCOMING VEHICLES (TRYING TO AVOID DISABLED VEHICLE) BEING UNABLE TO STOP SAFELY, ESPECIALLY MOTORCYCLES, PART IS POORLY DESIGNED/ENGINEERED AND WOULD/SHOULD NEVER FAIL UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. PART IS NOT A NORMALLY SERVICED OR "WEAR" TYPE PART. NO WARNING OF POTENTIAL OR EMINENT FAILURE. I AM 66 YEARS OLD, BEEN IN TOWING/SERVICE REPAIR BUSINESS FOR 35+ YEARS AND CANNOT RECALL SEEING A PART FAIL SUCH AS THIS. POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD VERY REAL, IF AMBIENT TEMP AND WORK LOAD ON UNIT HAD BEEN HIGHER IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE, OIL SPRAY ON HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, OH YES, SEEN THAT. BEING A MECHANIC I WAS ABLE TO EFFECT A TEMPORARY REPAIR, REPLACED FLUID AND DROVE IT AWAY. I HAVE FAILED PART TO SUPPLY IF REQUESTED. *BF CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST IS LABEL OF REPLACEMENT PART, SECOND PICTURE OF NEW PART AND BROKEN PART, THEN ANOTHER VIEW OF SAME. I TRIED TO TAKE A PICTURE SHOWING THE CORROSION THAT FORMED IN THE CRACK OF FITTING THAT FORCED IT TO SPLIT APART, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE NORMALLY WHITE CORRODED ALUMINUM HAD TRANS OIL SPRAYED ONTO IT. THERE IS ALSO A PICTURE OF THE LOCATION ON TRUCK FROM UNDERNEATH RADIATOR AREA, SHOWING MY TEMPORARY REPAIR, THE BLUE HOSE AREA IS WHERE FITTING WAS LOCATED. THE OTHER LINE IS THERE WITH THE SAME TYPE FITTING UNDER THE GRAY PLASTIC RETAINER, READY TO BREAK AT ANY MOMENT.*JB