NHTSA Complaint #11634525 — 2021 JAYCO PRECEPT

On [XXX], I was driving my 2021 Jayco Motorhome built on the Ford F53 chassis on a trip to Tucson, Arizona. On my way there, just outside of Clovis, NM, I noticed a strange vibration in my front end. When I attempted to slow down to enter Clovis, I heard grinding as I stepped on the brake and had a hard time slowing. We immediately searched for a local Ford Truck repair shop. Finding none anywhere close, we drove to Clovis Big Rig Repair. The repair shop immediately had us pull in. They jacked up the front of the rig and noted that the driver’s side of the rig’s wheel bearing was loose. When they checked the passenger’s side tire, the tire moved back and forth approximately three inches both ways. Upon further inspection they discovered that both bearings had been installed with very little grease. When the passenger bearing failed, they also discovered it damaged the hub and both the bearing and the hub had to be replaced. Fortunately, this wheel bearing failed on a flat straight road. We often travel the interstate through the mountains. Had this wheel bearing failed coming down a mountain, on a curve, the results could have been catastrophic. The independent repair shop verified the issue. The inspection interval as stated by the Ford Service manual is 60,000 miles. This failure occurred at 28,426 miles. The repair shop probably still has the failed hub and wheel bearings, if you desire to inspect them. There were no warning lamps to signal a failure. I have the receipts for the repairs which state the failure occurred due to "no grease". I will provide these to the NHTSA if requested. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)