NHTSA Complaint #766491 — 1994 FORD BRONCO

IN EARLY JANUARY OF 2000, I NOTICED THE RIGHT FRONT INSULATOR (BUSHING) ON THE RIGHT FRONT RADIUS ARM HAD ALMOST BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I LOOKED ON WEBSITE WWW.ALLDATA.COM AND FOUND A LISTING FOR A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, #95259, ISSUE DATE 12/95, TITLE : PULL OR DRIFT LEFT- RADIUS ARM REPLACEMENT. I TOOK MY BRONCO TO OURISMAN FORD DEALERSHIP IN BETHESDA MARYLAND WHERE I HAD BOUGHT TRUCK AND TOLD THEM THE BUSHING WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME THE TRUCK WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SO INSTED OF TRYING TO FIGHT WITH THEM ABOUT THIS BEING A SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE FIXED FOR FREE BY FORD, I TOLD THEM THE WARRANTY COMPANY WOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY DID, BUT ONLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE DEALERSHIP SERIVCE DEPT TOLD ME BOTH RAIDUS ARMS HAD TO BE REPLACED IN A PAIR AND THEY COULD NOT REPLACE ONE AT AT TIME, SO I HAD TO PAY FOR THE LEFT SIDE WHICH WAS NOT DAMAGED AT ALL. TODAY (8/30/02) WHILE I WAS CHECKING MY TRUCK OVER AGAIN WHILE CHANGING THE OIL AND ONCE AGAIN I FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT RADIUS ARM INSULATOR (BUSHING) HAS ALMOST DISINTEGRATED AGAIN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE TRUCK IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME IF YOUR STAFF AGREES THAT THIS REPEATED INSULATOR FAILURE IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURERS DESIGN DEFECT AND SINCE IT INVOLVES A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION (THE RADIUS ARM), THAT IT SHOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE (INCLUDING THE LEFT SIDE AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WHICH THEY DID LAST TIME AROUND? THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE TRUCK IS 85735 .*AK