NHTSA Complaint #11481411 — 2020 FORD EXPEDITION

Last year (2021), I purchased an Equalizer weight distribution hitch (manufactured by Progress Mfg Inc., Fastway Trailer Products, 353 South 1100 West, Provo, Utah 84601) when I bought my Grand Design Transcend Xplor camper trailer. The dealer sold me the 10,000 lb. hitch which was compatible with the 9,000 lb. GVWR trailer. Recently, (July, 2022) while pulling my camper into a campground site, the shank broke. It broke at the 90 degree joint and the gusset also fractured. Fortunately, I was only creeping into the campsite, so the trailer dropped to the ground, but no damage was done to the vehicle or camper. Upon examining the failure, it appear that one of the welds was defective. In the picture (Broken Trailer Shank - 5) it is clear that the weld on the left side had no weld fusion to the adjoining component. It appears that this was a "cold weld" and was a major contributor to the subsequent failure of the remaining welds and gusset. With the bad weld, the other welds were constantly over-stressed, and subsequently failed during normal use. From the discoloration of this "cold weld" it is evident that this condition existed for some time prior to the final fracture of the remaining welds (which are shinny - final failure) and probably existed since manufacturing. The defective weld also shows signs of "undercut". These are clear signs of poor manufacturing workmanship and should be considered to be a major safety concern. This type of failure should never occur and could have had major safety consequences if the failure occurred while travelling at high speed on the highway.