NHTSA Complaint #11257547 — 2004 FORD F-150

I TOOK MY TRUCK IN TO GET THE STEERING SHAFT REPLACED AND WHEN THE LIFTED UP ON THE HOIST THEY NOTICED THAT THE FRAME IN THE FRONT HAD A SPLIT IN IT UP IN THE FRONT PART OF THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE FRAME WAS VERY RUSTY. I THEN TOOK IT TO ANOTHER PERSON TO HAVE IT LOOKED OVER TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO WELD THE FRAME TO FIX THE SPLIT. UPON HIS INSPECTION, HE FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME IN THE REAR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE REST OF THE FRAME WASN'T STABLE ENOUGH TO HANDLE A WELD SINCE THE FRAME IS RUSTED SO BAD THE WELD WOULDN'T HOLD. I THEN CALLED AND TALKED TO FORD DIRECTLY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO BRING IT INTO AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. WHICH I DID AND THEY ALSO DEEMED THE FRAME BEYOND REPAIR. I THEN CALLED FORD BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO FOR ME SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PAST 7 YEARS. SO, NOW I HAVE AN UN-USEABLE UN-SELLABLE VEHICLE. UPON SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THAT GENERATION OF FORD VEHICLES HAS HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND VEHICLE RECALLS FOR THE SAME ISSUES FRAME DETERIORATION AND OR FAULTY FRAME OR CHASSIS IN MULTIPLE MODELS. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THAT GENERATION FORD F150'S AS WELL HOWEVER THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THAT VEHICLE. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 128,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT AND THE MOTOR ITS SELF PROBABLY WOULD LAST ANOTHER 150,000 MILES OR MORE. IF I HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE FOR ANY ISSUES THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A FRAME ISSUE AND IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT MY FRAME WOULD HAVE BUCKLED NO DOUBT ABOUT IT SINCE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT EVERYONE HAS TOLD ME. I HAVE A FAMILY OF 5 AND IM SURE THAT IF WE WERE IN A SERIOUS RECK IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR SUCH A MAJOR MANUFACTURER TO TURN THEIR CHEEK AND ON TOP OF IT MY FAMILY AND THEIR LIVES.