Defending my character1
Craigsub the following is in response to your last post.
http://www.carcomplaints.com/top_vehicles.shtml
Link one is from customers who have owned the cars how is this different from JD Power? They give a disclamer
http://www.carcomplaints.com/disclaimer.shtml
6.5 million recalled due to Fords catching fire:
http://www.fordproblems.com/investigations/F-150/1997/
This is from an NHTSA Investigation that caused Ford to recall them if they were being proactive then they would have done a Voluntary recall!
More engine fires
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...0&summary=true
Yet another recall for a possible ignition source in the engine compartment, yes it does say under extreme duty, but how many people that buy the vans used them for just driving. This is also an involantary recall.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...h&summary=true
This is a petition filed against Ford that enough people had been affected that the NHTSA had to make it public. Notice the NHTSA only spent a month or less investigating it.
http://www.fordproblems.com/spark-pl...m-engine.shtml
This is the spark plug ejection problem, no the NHTSA has not forced a recall as of yet but just having this issue is bad enough. Once again Craigsub is not telling the truth the mechanic that he is referring to is a concearned reader that sent an email.
http://www.autobuyguide.com/1991/12-...lls/index.html
This has information about the tire situation, yes this is only one year but follow the whole story and it spans 8 years! Yes that is 13 million vehicles affected just for the one year.
Estimated Vehicles Affected: 13000000
1991 FORD EXPLORER Defect Summary:
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. FORD REPORTS TREAD SEPARATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE TIRE DESIGN TO STRESS, AGING, AND MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS. FORD IS REPLACING THESE TIRES TO PREVENT POSSIBLE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE VEHICLES LISTED BELOW MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES OR MAY HAVE HAD WILDERNESS AT TIRES INSTALLED DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL LAUNCHED IN AUGUST 2000. CERTAIN 1991 THROUGHT 2002 FORD EXPLORER CERTAIN 2001 THROUGHT 2002 EXPLORER SPORT, AND SPORT TRAC CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 2001 RANGER CERTAIN 1999 THROUGH 2001 EXPEDITION CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994, AND 1997 MODEL YEAR F-SERIES CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994 BRONCO NOTE: BOTH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE AFFECTED.
Defect Consequence:
SHOULD THE TREAD SEPARATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy:
THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 2002. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT FORD AT 1-877-917-3673 OR GO ON-LINE TO
WWW.FORD.COM FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
Notes: FORD MOTOR COMPANY, 01B77
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_spark.html
Alot of unhappy people that Ford will not help who had theirs sparkplugs BLOW OUT OF THE ENGINES!
HMM why would most of the recalled tires be on Ford explorers MAYBE BECAUSE THEY DEFLATE THEM BY 5 PSI!
http://www.tiredefects.com/tire-trea...ufacturing.cfmPotential Liability of Ford for its Knowledge of the Rollover Problem and the Underinflation of Tires on the Ford Explorer
As the seller of a product with defective component parts, Ford is subject to strict liability for harm caused in tread separation accidents under the same theories as Firestone. However, Ford may face additional liability based on the stability of the vehicles into which the defective tires are integrated and on its recommendation of excessively low tire pressure.
Unfortunately, tread separation often causes a sport utility vehicle such as the Ford Explorer to roll over, a type of accident that frequently results in death or catastrophic injury to the vehicle's occupants. If tread separation occurs on a vehicle traveling 65 miles per hour, it becomes extremely difficult for the average driver to safely steer the vehicle to the road's shoulder.
The driver generally loses control as a result of a combination of factors. The loss of control starts with the tread separating from one of the rear tires. For example, if the right rear tread separates, the vehicle will pull slightly to the right, causing the driver to steer to the left to compensate. However, once the tread has separated, the vehicle will oversteer because the side force capability of that tire is drastically reduced (usually to 25 percent or less of its normal value). This means that the vehicle has two tires on the front generating side force, but only one good tire on the rear to balance the turning moment.
(cut paragragh due to space)
As a consequence, any steer input will be amplified by the oversteer nature of the vehicle and lead to high lateral accelerations. Once the lateral acceleration exceeds the vehicle's stability threshold (which is approximately 70 percent of its static stability factor), the vehicle will roll over. As a result, the combination of Firestone tires and Ford Explorers can be a deadly mix.
As previously noted, many of the recalled tires were sold as original equipment on Explorers. This vehicle was introduced by Ford as a replacement of the Bronco II, which had a horrible fatal rollover record and a poor stability index. The Explorer is a bigger vehicle than the Bronco II, with a longer wheelbase and a slightly higher stability index, but it still has stability problems.
To improve the reported stability of the vehicle through rollover resistance testing, Ford manipulated the recommended air pressure in the tires to a low of 26 pounds per square inch. This is extremely low in comparison with the recommendations of other auto manufacturers, and may be one reason for the high incidence of tread separation on Explorers.
As set forth below, tire manufacturers often argue that consumers are to blame for tread separation because they drove on underinflated tires. According to the manufacturers, driving on underinflated tires generates excessive heat and results in tread separation.
If Ford recommended an excessively low tire pressure, it may share liability with Firestone for tread separation failures. Indeed, it would be disingenuous for Firestone or Ford to blame consumers for driving on underinflated tires when Ford effectively recommended that they do just that.
