NHTSA Complaint #11703028 — 2022 FORD MUSTANG MACH E

On November 15, 2024, my Ford Mustang Mach-E was involved in a rear-end collision on Interstate 270 near Clarksburg, Maryland. I was struck at high speed by a box truck, which pushed my vehicle forward into the van in front of me. The rear of the vehicle sustained significant damage, including the complete shattering of the rear window. During the impact, the steering wheel detached from the steering column and came off entirely in my hands. This occurred without the airbag deploying in the steering wheel area. The separation exposed the internal column components and wiring. This type of failure appears to be a serious safety defect. A steering wheel should not detach from the column in a rear-impact collision, and the separation could have resulted in loss of control or severe injury. I am submitting this report because I believe this warrants investigation for potential structural or component failure in the steering column assembly. I have photographs documenting the rear damage, the detached steering wheel, and the exposed steering column.