1996 FORD AEROSTAR Complaints

CONDENSED VERSION: @ 70MPH POSTED SPEED LIMIT GOODYEAR ALLEGRA TOURING TIRE EXPLODED LIKE A 1/4 STICK OF DYNAMITE AND ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE IF MY REACTIONARY TIME HAD BEEN ANY SLOWER. 3 OTHER TIRES SAME LEAKING THROUGH SIDEWALL GOODYEAR DECORATIVE GILLS ON SAME THIS HAS NOT RESOLVED. SELLER HAS NOT RESOLVED AND REFUSES THOUGH GOODYEAR SAID TO REPLACE BEFORE THE MAIN ISSUE OF THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER TIRE EXPLODING AT 70 MPH, . LITIGATION IS NEXT STEP IF AMICABLE RESOLUTION CAN NOT BE HAD. CONTACT HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE WITH GOODYEAR TO NO RESULTS.

I HAD SMOKE AND ACRID SMELL COMING FROM UNDER MY DASH (WHILE DRIVING), WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN FITS TO IT. I HAVE CONTACTED A MAJOR FORD DEALER (BRANDON FORD), AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO HELP ME. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HE SAID MY VIN IS NOT LISTED FOR A RECALL, BUT YET HAD NO ANSWER FOR ME WHEN I ASKED WHY IS MY VEHICLE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, WHEN IT IS IN THE GROUP OF VEHICLES THAT WERE RECALLED AND THAT ARE CATCHING ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. OVER 887,000 WERE RECALLED FOR FIRE RELATED PROBLEMS, BUT THEY REFUSE TO EVEN LOOK AT MINE. SO, CAN I KEEP DRIVING IT? I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A ONE TIME THING, OR WHAT.....

12/6/2014 @ 18:20 C.S.T. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, (HOPEFULLY A SUPERVISOR OR DIRECTOR) THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FLOOR CLASP FAILS. I RELEASES THE SEAT BELT WHILE DRIVING. AFTER TWO OR THREE TIMES OF RE-HOOKING THE SEAT-BELT TO THE HOLD DOWN CLASP BOLTED THROUGH FLOOR BOARD OF THE VEHICLE, IT WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT AND HOLD THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH OF MY VEHICLES, THE 1993 OCCURRED AT APPX. 190,000 MILES AND WHEN I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT TO REMAIN CLASPED, THEY SIMPLY SAID, IT IS AN OLDER VEHICLE AND YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY FOR OVER $500.00...[XXX]. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE...AND FORD NEEDS TO REPLACE THE HOLD DOWN CLASP WHICH IS BOLTED THROUGH THE FLOOR BOARD FREE OF CHARGE. LABOR AND PART FREE. IF I HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THAT BELT LET LOOSE, I MIGHT BE DEAD. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. MY 1976 FORD TORINO NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM, NOR THE OTHER VEHICLES REFERENCED, NOR ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. THIS IS A SAFETY AND DRIVER SAFETY WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND NO MATTER THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE MANDATED BY ALL STATES MOTOR VEHICLE LAWS TO BE ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. IF THE ITEM IS DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN, AND AS IN MY CASE, IT ARBITRARILY AND WITHOUT NOTICE OF ITS IMMINENT FAILURE, FAILS WITH NO PRESSURE ON IT, IT NEEDS TO BE A RECALLED ITEM. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT FORD IS STILL PURCHASING FROM THE SAME SUPPLIER AND IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN ALL SUBSEQUENT SEAT BELT HOLD DOWN CLASPS WILL FAIL LIKEWISE AT THE 6 - 9 YEAR RANGE, WITHOUT NOTICE AND EXPOSE FORD TO WRONGFUL DEATH SUITS DUE TO MECHANICAL DEFECTS IN THOSE SEAT BELT HOLD DOWN CLASPS. I AM CUTTING AND PASTING A COPY OF THIS FORMAL COMPLAINT SO THAT I HAVE A RECORD OF ITS SUBMISSION TODAY DECEMBER 6, 2014 @ 18:20 C.S.T. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD AEROSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSFER CASE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 97V204000 (POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)) MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD AEROSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ROARING SOUND. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL SPOKES FAILED. THE WHEEL WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE TIRE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TIRE OR VEHICLE. THE WHEEL WAS INSPECTED BY THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE WHEEL WAS DEFECTIVE. THE WHEELS WERE THE ORIGINAL WHEELS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN 30 MPH, ALL POWER FAILED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE STALLING HAS ALSO OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IMMOBILE. A FUSE CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY CABLES BLEW. WHEN THE FUSE WAS REPLACED, THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 99V029000, FOR THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH DUE THE VIN EVEN THOUGHT VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES. AFTER THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AND VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN HOME AT 45MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AS IF THE GEARS WERE NOT CHANGING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE TIRE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE NOT BE USED UNTIL THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS WELDED AND THE UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE CRACKED. THIS WAS NOTICED FROM A VISUAL INSPECTION BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND STATED THE WHEELS CRACKED UNDER STRESS FROM THE VEHICLE.

WHILE DOING PERIODIC INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE NOTICED 2 CRACKED SPOKES ON REAR RIGHT 14X6 ALLOY RIM. THE CRACK IS ALL THE WAY THROUGH . LOCAL FORD DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. THIS TIRE HAS NOT IMPACTED ANYTHING AS THE FORD DEALER ELUDED TO, AND I FEEL THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE CRACKS MAY BE DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. FORD SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM AND QUIT BLAMING THE CONSUMER.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE RESIDENCE AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. DRIVER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. NO INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK