My 2001 Ford Expedition's (65300 miles) cable which mounts the spare tire under the vehicle has frayed and the tire has fallen off. I called my local dealership, which just worked on the car, and they said, "ya, we've seen that happen a few times... the cable rusts out, and the tire falls off." I have never bottomed out the car, we have been the sole owners, and it was just in to Ford for repairs, and a "safety inspection" so it must have happened recently. I have no idea when or where this could have happened. I must have been driving, because otherwise I would have backed over it, had I been parked. I may have been going 65 mph down the highway with my three children in the car! and god help anyone behind me! this seems to me to be an extremely dangerous defect, I can only hope my car was not the cause of an accident to another. Now I am forced to endure yet another costly repair to a car, which for its limited 65,000 miles has already had its share. Two months ago I was told that I was lucky that I brought it in for repairs to an engine problem, because its ball joints were so bad that the front wheels were going to fall off! this is not the kind of thing that a mother, who uses this vehicle to Transport her three small children around in, wants to hear! and now, the spare tire has fallen off! it will require the replacement of the mounting mechanism, as well as the tire and wheel, assureably, not to be cheap! thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully, kim wyman

- Marstons Mills, MA, USA

Spare tire cable broke underneath the truck while driving 20 mph or less, causing the spare tire to roll into another vehicle on the highway. The dealer was contacted.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA