NHTSA Complaint #737037 — 1995 FORD EXPLORER

THE ACTUAL DATE AND MILEAGE IS UNKNOWN. I JUST DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM LAST WEEK. BOTH LINK PINS THAT CONNECT THE FRONT SWAY BAR TO THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WERE MISSING. WITH THE SWAY BAR DISCONNECTED, THE CAR SWAYS SEVERLY IN CORNERING OR HARD MANUEVERS. I HAD THE PINS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY HAD ISSUED A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION ON 6 NOV 2000 #00M11 THAT IDENTIFIED THE (LINK PINS BREAKING)PROBLEM FOR 1996-1997 FORD EXPLORERS. HOWEVER, THE LIMIT FOR MILEAGE FOR FORD TO REPLACE THE PARTS WAS 100,000. I HAD AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY 102500 MILES ON THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE, OCCURED BACK IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE I STARTED GETTING A LOT SWAY ON CORNERING. I FIGURED THAT THE SHOCKS WERE BAD DO HAD THEM REPLACED IN ABOUT SEPTEMBER 2000. THIS DIDN'T SOLVE THE SWAY PROBLEM. LAST WEEK I WAS CHANGING MY OIL AND NOTICED THAT THE SWAY BAR WAS LOOSE. AFTER REPLACING THE LINK PINS MY SWAY PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, MELLANIE HALL, AND RELAYED MY PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE MY CAR WAS 2500 MILES PAST THEIR LIMIT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING PROBLEM TO THE TIRE PROBLEM CAUSING ROLL OVERS. THIS CAR, WITH OUT THE SWAY BAR ATTACHED, WOULD DEFINITELY BE UNSTABLE IN HARD TURNS AND I AM CONVINCED THAT IT COULD LEAD TO A ROLL OVER. MELLANIE HALL FOR FORD, DID NOT AGREE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS TIME OF FAILURE SHOULD BE ADDED TO YOUR INVESTIGATION ON TIRES AND ROLL OVERS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE SAFETY RECALL AND NOT BE LIMITED TO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MILES, CONSEQUENTLY I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED.