THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENED TO ANOTHER PERSON'S FORD EXPEDITION AND THE SHOP REPORTED THAT THEY HAD 5 OTHER FAILURES OF THE SAME PART. THE BAR IS MADE IN MEXICO AND APPEARS TO BE OF POOR QUALITY!!! *AK
1999
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
(1) NOTHING BEFORE IT HAPPENED. (2) I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 10:50 PM AND AS I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN INTO THE PARKING LOTS AT ABOUT 5-10 MPH, I HEARD A CLANK AND BUMP BUMP. I TURNED AND SAW NOTHING AND SLOWLY MOVED FORWARD WHERE I SAW A TIRE IN THE ROAD BEHIND ME. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK AND SAW IT WAS A GOOD TIRE AND RIM ABOUT THE SIZE I HAD ON MY CAR. I LOOKED UNDER MY CAR AND TO MY SUPRISE MY SPARE WAS GONE. I PICKED UP THE TIRE AND METAL BRACKET THAT HELD IT. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ELSE. THE NEXT DAY IN DAYLIGHT I LOOKED UNDER MY CAR AND FOUND THAT THE CABLE THAT HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE WAS BROKEN AT THE POINT WHERE IT CAME OUT OF THE BRACKET. (3) I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND HE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE CAR BUT SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. I ASKED HIM TO FIX IT FREE AND PASS THIS INFO UP THE LADDER AS THIS WAS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO KILL SOMEONE. I TOLD HIM THE DAY BEFORE I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE @70 MPH AND IF IT CAME OFF THEN I WAS SURE I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY, BUT HE COULDN'T FIX IT FOR FREE AND MY CAR WAS 5 YEARS OLD. I TOLD HIM THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSURE AND THE SPARE TIRE HAD NEVER BEEN PUT ON THE CAR. NOTHING HE COULD DO BUT GAVE ME AN 800 NUMBER TO CALL. I DID AND GOT NOWHERE WITH THEM EITHER, I DID GET A REFERENCE # 0420083070. I'M ALMOST SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR, AS THE SPARE TIRE COULD COME OFF AND KILL SOMEONE. *AK