1992 Ford E-150

1992 FORD E-150 VAN VEHICLE IS STORED WINTERS WITH STA-BIL IN THE GASOLINE, SELDOM DRIVEN AND ONLY HAS 37K MILES ON IT. THE FLEXIBLE RUBBER FUEL HOSE BETWEEN THE METAL GAS TANK FILLER NECK WHERE YOU PUT THE GASOLINE IN AND THE NIPPLE ON THE GAS TANK DEVELOPED MULTIPLE CRACKS AND WOULD LEAK GAS WHEN RE-FUELING THE VEHICLE. THE HOSE ITSELF STILL HAS THE OEM NUMBERS ON IT. F2UA-9034-AF. I REPLACED THE HOSE WITH AFTERMARKET 1.5" FUEL FILLER HOSE FROM A NAPA AUTO PARTS FOR LESS THAN $15 AS FORD HAS SUPERSEDED F2UA-9034-AF WITH AN ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $218. OLD HOSE IS AVAILABLE. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT MILESTONE TIRES, MANUFACTURED IN CHINA, MODEL NUMBER MILESTONE RL828, G104/101S, STANDARD RIM 61/2J, SIZE LT 235/75. THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES BY THIS MANUFACTURER THAT WERE INSTALLED ON MY FORD E150 CONVERSION VAN HAVE HAD BELT FAILURES. THE TIRE THAT FAILED ON JUNE 28 HAD APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE TIRE HAD JUST BEEN INFLATED TO FULL PRESSURE DURING AN OIL CHANGE APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES PRIOR TO FAILURE. THE PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES IS APPARENTLY A BELT SEPARATION. TWO TIRES WERE REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC UPON INSPECTION IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004 AFTER APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES, AND PARTIALLY WARRANTEED BY THE DISTRIBUTOR. THE DISTRIBUTOR AT THAT TIME ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES, AND INDICATED THAT THESE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN SOLVED WITH THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. HOWEVER, ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT TIRES BLEW OUT ON JUNE 28, 2005. THE DISTRIBUTOR IS REQUESTING THAT I PROVIDE THE TIRE, WHICH WAS LOST, ALONG WITH THE RIM, WHEN IT DISINTEGRATED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES PER HOUR. TO DATE, MY MECHANIC IS RECEIVING VERY LITTLE COOPERATION FROM THE TIRE DISTRIBUTOR. MY MECHANIC IS HARRY'S SERVICE, 315 689-6448, LOCATED IN JORDAN, NEW YORK. DAMAGES INCLUDED LOSS OF THE TIRE, LOSS OF THE RIM, DESTRUCTION OF THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE ROTOR, AND FRONT END DAMAGES. THE FACT THAT MY FAMILY AND I ARE STILL ALIVE HAS MORE TO DO WITH MY EXPERIENCE AS A DRIVER THAN WITH THE EXTENT OF THE FAILURE -- THE CONVERSION VAN COULD VERY EASILY HAVE ROLLED OVER, KILLING EVERYONE INSIDE. PLEASE STOP THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE DANGEROUS TIRES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND FINE THE DISTRIBUTOR FOR KNOWINGLY CONTINUING DISTRIBUTION OF UNSAFE TIRES. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME. THANK YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LINE THAT CARRIES TRANSMISSION FLUID TO/FROM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER WERE PLACED OVER A WIRE BUNDLE WRAPPED WITH A HARD RUBBER WRAP. AFTER 13 YEARS/93K MILES, THIS CONSTANT CONTACT/RUBBING BETWEEN THE WRAPPED WIRE BUNDLE AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID LINE RESULTED IN A HOLE WEARING IN THE ATF LINE, AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. ONLY BECAUSE THIS FAILURE WAS DETECTED EARLY WAS A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF ATF FLUID AND FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION AVERTED. WITHOUT EARLY DETECTION, SEVERE LOSS OF ATF FLUID WOULD OCCUR, WITH SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS FAILURE COULD LEAVE THE VEHICLE IN A HAZARDOUS POSITION, SINCE IT COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL BEGAN LEAKING ON GROUND FROM FUEL TANK/FILLER AREA. LEAK STOPPED WHEN FUELING WAS DISCONTINUED. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY FOUND SPLIT APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES LONG IN RUBBER FILL HOSE WHICH IS PART OF THE FUEL FILLER NECK ASSEMBLY HAD TO REPLACE THIS ASSEMBLY (AT 134,088 MILES) . HAD REPLACED THIS ASSEMBLY PREVIOUSLY AT ABOUT 90,000 MILES TO CURE A STRONG FUEL ODOR COMPLAINT. THIS FUEL HOSE SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IT'S FAILURE MIGHT RESULT IN FIRE HAZARD, PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. *LA