NHTSA Complaint #766360 — 2001 FORD EXPLORER

ROLLOVER. TRUCK WAS TRAVELING ON FREEWAY AT POSTED SPEED OF 65MPH. 8AM, CLEAR DAY, NO RAIN, NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED, DRIVER ALERT AND OTHERWISE NOT IMPAIRED. TIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED PER RECALL AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 8K MILES ON THEM. HIT A PIECE OF DEBRIS (MORE SOLID THEN TIRE PIECES) IN ROAD WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BLOWN OUT RIGHT, REAR TIRE (UNCLEAR IF CAUSE OF ACCIDENT OR DURING ROLLOVER). TRUCK THEN STARTED TO FISHTAIL IN THE LANE. APPLIED BRAKES (WHICH DID NOT LOCK UP - GOOD PERFORMANCE), ALSO NO SKID OCCURRED. THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS A FREEWAY UNDERPASS, LEFT LANE WITH A GUARDRAIL VERY CLOSE TO SHOULDER AND WAS PAVED TO THE RAIL EDGE. AS I WAS FIGHTING FOR CONTROL, THE FRONT, LEFT BUMPER HIT THE RAIL. TRUCK THEN ROLLED OVER TWICE AND DID AN ADDITIONAL 180 DEG TURN. I VERY STRONGLY FEEL THAT WITH THE EXCELLENT ROAD CONDITIONS, PROPER SAFETY OF THE GUARD RAIL, RELATIVELY LOW AMOUNT OF DAMAGE DUE TO THE IMPACT ITSELF, ETC, THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK AND THAT THE ROLLOVER WAS AN EXCESSIVE, DANGEROUS REACTION WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE CARGO IN THE BACK BED WAS CENTERED FORWARD AND COMBINED WITH THE ITEMS INSIDE DID NOT EXCEED 600 POUNDS + 125LB DRIVER (WELL WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS OF TRUCK). BED HAD A DEALER INSTALLED, FIBERGLASS TOPPER. I WILL GIVE THE CAR CREDIT FOR KEEPING ME SAFE DURING THE ROLLOVER. I SUBSTAINED SCRATCHES, BRUISES, A SPRAINED WRIST, AND BUMP ON THE HEAD BUT WAS HELD IN PLACE VERY SECURELY BY THE SAFETY BELT AND SEAT. GAS TANK ALSO RUPTURED, SPILLING 19 GALLONS ON ROADWAY, BUT DID NOT EXPLODE. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. I UNDERSTAND AFTER TALKING TO DEALER MANAGEMENT THAT THE SPORT TRAC MODELS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE THE ROLLOVER HISTORY OF THE ENCLOSED EXPLORERS BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY SHARE THE SAME STABILITY PROBLEMS.*AK