NHTSA Complaint #710791 — 1996 FORD E-150

ON LEVEL ASPHALT, ATTEMPTING TURNAROUND, MADE SHARP LEFT TURN, STOPPED, MADE SHARP RIGHT TURN,PLACED INTO REVERSE GEAR, HEARD LOUD POP, BACKED UP, SAW BOLT LYING ON PAVEMENT, GOT OUT TO INVESTIGATE,PICKED UP BOLT,NOTICED BOLT TO HAVE FRESH BREAK, LOOKED UNDER VAN NOT KNWOING WHAT TO LOOK FOR, SAW NOTHING, GOT BACK IN AND PROCEEDED TO CONTINUE BACKING UP - I HAD NO STEERING - NOW STRANDED. PROBLEM: ALL THREE (3) BOLTS (GRADE 8) HAD BROKEN THAT HAVE THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO VAN'S FRAME. HAD I BEEN MOVING AT ANY SPEED; THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS (I.E. MAJOR ACCIDENT (POSSIBLY WITH FATALITIES)INVOLVING ONE OR MORE VEHICLES. THIS VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED, HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. FORD REPAIR HOUSE COMMENTED THAT THEY NEVER WITNESSED SUCH A FAILURE. THEIR INVESTIGATION NOTED THAT TWO OF THE THREE BOLTS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN LOOSE POSSIBLY FROM LACK OF SUFFICIENT LOCKING COMPOUND BEING USED AT TIME OF ASSEMBLY.