NHTSA Complaint #11395983 — 2006 FORD F-150

I BROUGHT MY 2006 F150 IN FOR SERVICE THE OTHER DAY, AND MY MECHANIC POINTED OUT A RUST HOLE ON MY FRAME THAT SHOWED UP. AFTER I SCRAPED SOME OF THE SURFACE RUST OFF, I FOUND THAT A LARGE PORTION OF MY DRIVERS SIDE FRAME RAIL HAD SIGNIFICANT ROT SPREADING. MY TRUCK HAD JUST BARELY ABOVE 90,000 MILES ON IT, WITH NO OTHER RUST ON ANY OF THE BODY PANELS. I DRIVE A COMPANY VEHICLE DURING THE WEEK, AND MY TRUCK BARELY GETS DRIVEN ALL YEAR. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE FRAMES ON THESE MID 2000'S F150'S ARE VERY PRONE TO ROT DUE TO THE LACK OF WEEP HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME. CORROSIVE ELEMENTS GET INSIDE, THEN HAVE NO WAY OUT OF THE FRAMES INTERIOR. WITH THIS POORLY DESIGNED DETAIL ON THE FRAME, CONSUMERS ARE LEFT WITH NEXT TO NO CHOICE BUT ANXIOUSLY WAIT FOR THE PREMATURE DECAY OF THE MOST CRUTIAL ELEMENT OF THEIR VEHICLE. AT THIS RATE, JUNK YARDS ARE GOING TO FILLED WITH LOW MILAGE FORD TRUCKS THAT RUSTED OUT BEFORE THEIR PRIME. FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR POOR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING. CONSUMERS BUY A FORD TRUCK FOR THEIR "FORD TOUGH" REPUTATION, NOT FOR THE INADEQUATELY BUILT TRUCKS THAT THEY SOLD UNDER THAT "FORD TOUGH" GUISE AND NOW REFUSE TO STAND BEHIND. I BELIEVE A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED DUE TO THE SHEER NUMBER OF INCIDENTS I'VE READ ABOUT, ALL OF WHICH ARE CENTRAL TO THE MID 2000'S F150. HOW CAN A PROBLEM THIS PUBLIC GO UNADDRESSED? HOW MANY UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE ARE DRIVING A RUSTED DEATHTRAP AT THIS MOMENT, BUT WOULD NEVER SUSPECT A THING DUE TO LOW MILES AND A GREAT BODY? FORD SHOULD MAKE THIS RIGHT TO THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTED THEM FOR YEARS.