NHTSA Complaint #756942 — 1997 FORD F-150

FRAME SHEARED AT REAR OF CORRECTLLY AND PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED CLASS 3 HITCH. THE FRAME ALSO BENT BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR LEAF SPRING CONNECTIONS. THE FRAME AT THE LEFT LEAF SPRING CONNECTION IS CRACKED. THERE WAS NO OVER LOADING OF THE TONGUE NOR SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO SHOCK LOAD THE FRAME. FORD IS CLAIMING THAT IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALL INVOLVED PARTIES HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY THING LIKE THIS BEFORE. THEY SITE THAT THE AFTER MARKET HITCH "COULD BE TO BLAME" ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT SAY THAT THE HITCH WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. A 4 YEAR OLD 70,000 MILE TRUCK SHOULD NOT FAIL TOWING A TRAILER THAT IS LESS THAN HALF OF THE TOWING CAPACITY FOR ITS RATING, REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY EXPIRATION. NO ONE WAS INJURED BECAUSE IT WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A JACK KNIFE AND/ OR ROLLOVER OF THE TRUCK AND TRAILER. THE TOWING CAPACITY OF THE TRUCK IS 6600 LBS AND THE TONGUE WEIGHT MAX IS 500 LB. OUR TRAILER IS A 10 FOOT 2 HORSE TRAILER WEIGHING 2900 LBS EMPTY AND TONGUE WEIGHT OF 250 LOADED.