NHTSA Complaint #11557466 — 2007 FORD EXPLORER

The contact's brother-in-law owned a 2007 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her brother-in-law was driving 60-62 MPH, her husband was sitting in the front passenger's side seat, the contact was sitting in the rear passenger's side seat and her sister was sitting in the rear driver's side seat. The contact stated that the front passenger's side end of the vehicle collapsed and hit the ground inadvertently. The driver lost control of the steering wheel, and the vehicle rolled over three times and landed on its wheels. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was knocked unconscious temporarily. The contact's sister and brother-in-law were able to exit the vehicle. The contact was able to exit the vehicle and stood in front of the passenger's side door attempting to assist her husband out of the vehicle. The emergency units cut the front passenger's side seat belt and assisted the contact's husband out of the vehicle. The contact's husband was air lifted to the hospital, where it was diagnosed that he had sustained a broken neck and was paralyzed from the neck down. The contact's husband received medical assistance in the hospital for 5 months until he passed away. The contact, her sister and brother-in-law were transported to the hospital. The contact sustained a broken sternum and received medical assistance. The contact's sister sustained a fractured neck. Both the contact's sister and brother-in-law had undergone back surgery. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to tow yard, where it was totaled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V181000 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.