NHTSA Complaint #11708531 — 2017 FORD TRANSIT

I am submitting this complaint to report a real‑world safety failure related to Ford Recall 19S38 involving a 2017 Ford Transit 350. The vehicle was purchased in 2021 from a Ford dealership, Joe Rizza Ford, with approximately 60,000 miles. At the time of purchase, Recall 19S38 was open on the vehicle and had not been completed. We were not informed of the open safety recall at the time of sale, and the recall repair was not performed prior to delivery. The vehicle was maintained responsibly using qualified, independent repair facilities. We were never advised by Ford or the selling dealership that the vehicle had an open safety recall. Two days prior to the incident, the vehicle was inspected by a professional repair shop due to a rattling noise. The shop test‑drove the vehicle, performed an inspection, and was unable to identify the source of the noise or any unsafe condition. On 12/20/2025, while the vehicle was being driven normally, the driveshaft/coupler failed suddenly and catastrophically. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in a violent separation of the driveshaft, causing severe damage to the transmission and surrounding components and an immediate loss of safe operation. At the time of the failure, the vehicle was occupied by multiple passengers, including seven minors. No injuries occurred, but the incident created a serious safety hazard. After the failure, we learned that the nature of the failure and the resulting damage are consistent with the risks described in Recall 19S38. Ford has acknowledged the recall and has offered to repair the recalled component, but has denied responsibility for the surrounding damage caused by the recall‑related failure. This complaint is being submitted to document a safety‑related recall failure that occurred during normal operation, created a hazardous condition, and aligns with the defect and consequences described in Recall 19S38.