U HAUL AGAINST EXPLORERS!!!! | Page 14 | Ford Explorer Forums

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U HAUL AGAINST EXPLORERS!!!!

You should have used the complete title of the book:
Tragic Indifference : One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry over the Dangers of SUVs

In other words, this is one persons (and his lawyers) opinion.

Here is what a independent review of the book says (from Amazon.com)

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In a stinging invective, journalist Penenberg outlines the ethical failures and calculated improprieties of two principal automotive-industry companies, along with the struggle of attorney Tab Turner to hold them accountable. Already an established consumer-rights lawyer, Turner began to focus on Ford Explorers equipped with Firestone Wilderness tires in the mid to late 1990s, when the number of cases in which the tread separated from a tire and resulted in an often fatal rollover accident began to become significant. Penenberg uses Turner's involvement in the case of Donna Bailey, who was paralyzed in such an accident in Texas in 2000, as the framework for his book. As Turner investigates further, Penenberg paints a picture of an automaker trying to dominate the lucrative SUV market despite known stability flaws with its signature model in the class, and of a tire manufacturer willing to sacrifice the integrity of its products in order to fulfill the wishes of its biggest client. The writing and structure of the book are somewhat formulaic, as the chief concern is the reportage. Penenberg is also so strident in his tone and puts the companies in such a harsh light that it almost makes one wonder if this is an accurate portrayal, but he offers extensive endnotes from an array of sources to back up his claims. It's a comprehensive and disturbing book, and perhaps its ultimate validation is that Ford and Firestone, which had done business for nearly 100 years, broke ties, and Ford agreed not only to settle Bailey's case for tens of millions of dollars but also to have executives videotaped at her hospital bedside as they offered condolences.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

P.S. Here is a Amazon readers review:
Reviewer: A reader from Provo, Utah, U.S.A.
This book is written 100% from the perspective (and everything is perspective) of Trial Lawyers. Sad what passes for "history" these days. Interesting read - even an important read - but the spin in this book creates enough wind to cool a medium sized office building. Read, enjoy, but be smart enough to know that (just like the Da Vinci Code) you are getting a small helping of history, and a very generous serving of pure Grishamesque yarn.


And Uhaul is still stupid. So go away now.
 



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yeah well

Originally posted by lonestar
I guess this is what broke the camels back.

College Students Rollover with Uhaul

they sited faulty tires and faulty brakes on the trailer...so where is this an Explorer issue??? you mean to say that if those same firestone tires were on a Chevy Blazer that this same issue would never have come up??? heh... well just goes to show ya how stupid this all is...

Karol
 






About tire blowouts in the front causing explorers to roll over. There was an article in motortrend or car and driver, i forgot the magazine, but they tested simulated blowouts on explorers and they didn't roll as expected.
 






Reply to comment "who here all rents u-hauls?"

I just signed that petition and yet i have never rented a U-Haul and probably never will. The point here isn't how many of us are renting trailers from them but the fact that what U-Haul is doing is total bull. I get pissed off because it seems like this crap never ends, everyones always putting down our explorers.

- First i was told i couldnt order parts for my body lift because its an "explorer" so i had to call back and lie and say i had a ranger

- Second i couldnt put larger sized tires on my "explorer" so i had to find someone i knew that would mount em for me

- And now i cant tow a little trailer from U-haul because i have an "explorer"?

Everyone with an explorer should sign this petition now before things get even more carried away- before we know it our vehicles aren't going to be aloud on the road during rush hour, or we wont be able to get them serviced at shops except dealers because people are afraid of "lawsuits"

And not to mention- this bad publicity destroys are vehicles values... our X's wouldnt be worth crap except for the fact that Ford has kept them as the #1 SUV ... hmm that should say something about our "dangerous explorers" shouldnt it?
 






Ausmartin, you need to get YOUR facts straight. As mentioned above, that is a book written from the perspective of someone who is already out to get the vehicle. It is in no way fair, imbiased or accurate. As for your first cited statement about the roof not being able to support the weight of the vehicle with a broken windscreen, there are several people on this site, including my wife and infant daughter that can attest for the fact that it will support the weight of the truck. My wife rolled my '92 Explorer (she was pushed off the road into a ditch by a jeep), blew all the glass out of the vehicle, and the roof supported the weight of the vehicle. Because the roof supported the weight, my wife and daughter walked away unscathed.

Also, you claim U-Haul is right and then you cite passages related to safety from the book. U-Haul is NOT asserting that they won't rent to Explorer owners because of safety. RTFP! U-Haul has consistently said the following:
. This policy is not related to any safety issues. U-Haul policy is based solely on business reasons. U-Haul has chosen not to rent behind this tow vehicle.
Sooo, according to U-Haul this is not a safety issue...So what makes U-Haul right then???

Per chance, are you a trial lawyer or a U-Haul employee??? I find it interesting that you come to a unabashedly Pro-Explorer site to bash the vehicle, don't own one, and also don't fill out your profile.....
 






What a waste of time. Let me see U-Haul says they won’t rent to me so I think I will fix them I will sign a petition telling them that I am not going to rent from them. It is the functional equivalent of quitting before you are fired. I realize that some of you may be lucky enough to own a Chevrolet or some other approved car to town a trailer. I in fact have three other cars beside my Explorer; however, the explorer is my only vehicle with a hitch.

I am not angry at U-Haul. I am angry at the system and Ford. "Lets stop all the silly lawsuits aginst Ford." Wa Wa Wa poor Ford. Those so called silly lawsuits are our only hope that something is going to be done. And there is not much hope. Apparently, we can’t sue Ford on the contract if our car is out of warranty. Also, if you did not by the car from a dealer and if it is out of warranty the only way we can sue Ford for the defects is if we suffer an injury other that the deprecation or the dysfunction of the vehicle itself. Rather the defects must result in bodily injury or damage to property other than the Explorer itself. So Ford does have to pay anyone until they are injured which provides no incentive to fix the vehicles until injury occurs.

Our only hope is to lobby the NHTSA to force Ford to recall the problems with our cars. They have a website where you can describe your problems. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov I suggest that instead of adding you name to a list on the boycott, we should file complaint regarding the inadequate suspension and roof supports in the vehicle etc etc. If enough people complain maybe just maybe Ford will fix the problems. I am not counting on it. I really don’t think Ford would care if we all signed a petition that we would never by another FORD, which is true for me. The same goes for the Volvo. I am unloading all of my Ford products. I hope Ford goes broke!!!
 






Originally posted by ausmartin
Hate to rain on your parade guys.

BUT U_HAUL IS RIGHT.

Larger numbers of Ford Explorers have:
1) Roof unable to support vehicles weight with broken windscreen. - see note 1* Pg 82....

:(


This is a funny guy!!! We have hundreds of Ford Explorers on this site which have been lifted to increase ground clearance. And to my knowledge not one person on this site has ever rolled their vehicle on the road from a blow out.

I personally had a 35" tall rear tire blow at about 60mph. No problem at all. Tracked straight and true. I was behind an Explorer that blew a front left tire at highway speeds. No problem there either and he lost his entire tread.

The NHTSA cleared the Explorer for being prone to roll overs. The blame was placed on the Firestone tires.

I guess the author of that post never saw the Car and Driver test where they blew a Ford Explorers tire at 75MPH purposely and found the truck tracked straight and true. The magazine was expecting disastorous results from all the media hype so they equipped the Explorer with a rollcage and the driver was strapped in and wore helmet. After blowing the tire repeatedly at ever increasing speeds the driver did his final test with his HANDS OFF THE WHEEL. When the tire was blown with his hands off the wheel, again THE EXPLORER TRACKED STRAIGHT AND TRUE.

With 5 MILLION units on the road there are obviously going to be more Explorers involved in any type of accident then with a less popular vehicle.

I can't believe U-Haul is going to alienate 5 million potenial customers. I know that if someone told me that I couldn't rent a trailer with my truck that was just rated #1 Tow Vehicle of the Year I would laugh in their face and never go back.
 






Originally posted by TracerBullett
Don't know if this has been posted since I haven't read through all the posts, so I'll take the chance that it hasn't. There is a protest site up for the current issue dealing with U-haul and explorers. I suggest everyone who is against u-haul not renting to Ex owners go and sign it. http://www.dontrentfromuhaul.com/ it is a protest letter and has been put up by the http://www.mysporttrac.com moderator/owner.

At a minimum everyone interested should check it out. I think BlackMagic can back me on this as he is a regular over there as well. I haven't towed to date but I'd like to think if I needed to I'd be able to find the tools with which to do it.

I've been to that site and joined there too (Same username), and I'm going to sign the petition right now
 






When the smoke all clears I'd like to see what the "business reasons" are that caused uhaul to loose 5 million possible customers. It must be that new theory about how less business is actually better ;) . Anyway, I bet Ford knew about this before it went public, this sanction was probably the result of corporate negotiations not going uhauls way...
 






Check this out:

Here's the email I got from UHAUL this monring, a little more informative.

Dear Mr. Rubinger,

Thank you for your request for information on our policy regarding Ford
Explorers.

This policy is not related to safety issues. U-Haul has chosen not to rent
behind this tow vehicle based on our history of excessive costs in
defending lawsuits involving Ford Explorer towing combinations. This is
an unusual circumstance and we do not like having to make this decision.
We do not like saying “no” to our customers and we apologize for any
inconvenience this may cause.

We are asking you for another chance in working with you to find
alternative options to help with your move.

Sincerely,
Kristen Novak
U-Haul Customer Service
 






I have used U-Haul trailers many times and never had any problems with safety. Once when towing a car on a U-Haul dolly I have witnessed a roolover of a Cherokee with U-Haul trailer attached... Cherokee got on it's side... trailer sat on it's own two wheels still atached to the XJ... seems I won't be able to rent from them ever again... no sweat! I talked to the U-Haul agent whom I've used in the past and he's gonna simply give me his own non-U-Haul trailers so instead of paying $29.99 a day for "an original" I'll pay $15.00 for a fake...

who cares? it still gets the job done.

BTW - petition signed... one thing makes me wonder though.... nowhere on that site I have been able to locate any names... very strange - don't you think? perhaps U-Haul is trying to get the names of it's enemies?

and I'll cherish the photos of my truck pulling U-Haul trailers... maybe in a few years I'll sell them on ebaY
:D
And I'll never use Ryder
;)
 






Originally posted by Mbrooks420
I believe they did away with the guys pay more thing a few years back, but I know for sure that the Explorer and the Mountaineer are the exact same insurance rating, if equiped the same.


They never changed that law, guys till pay more for insurance than girls.I have 3 years experience and pay 2500 a year on my explorer. And my sister just got her licence and only pays 1800 a year on an identical explorer. Both of us have no tickets or claims. PLus i also drive alot more km per year when i'm working as a truck driver. So i really have alot more experince than any average peron whos been driving for 3 years.
 






Originally posted by bikerboy4lif
They never changed that law, guys till pay more for insurance than girls.

That's because women don't get into accidents... they just leave carnage in their wake!!;)
 






I found this on an auto insurance site.

http://www.auto-car-insurance-quote-california-ca-florida-texas-tx.com/auto-insurance-faqs.htm



What determines my auto insurance premiums?


Your Driving Record
The rates used in determining your premium are affected by your history of claims and traffic violations for up to three years. Drivers with more accident/ticket records will have higher premiums.

Your Age, Sex and Marital Status
Statistics show that the frequency of accidents is higher for males than females. Teenagers have more accidents than adults and single people have more accidents than married people. High accident frequencies mean higher premiums.

Your Residential Location
Congested areas such as cities, have heavier traffic and more thefts and vandalism. Consequently, these areas pay higher premiums than rural areas.

Type of Vehicle and Vehicle Use
Some vehicles cost more to repair than others do and therefore cost more to insure. Higher premiums are also the result of vehicle usage, such as business use and vehicle performance, such as turbo or other high performance engines.
 






I was told when I bought my Explorer that the roof would hold 1 and a half times the weight of the vehicle, regardless of the windshield. I asked this question specifically, knowing that the windshield provides a lot of support. Take my sister for example, she got her 2000 Cavalier sideways on a gravel road going 35mph and flipped into the ditch. A friend of mine did the same thing in a 1999 Cavalier, going a lot faster though. I have had the Explorer sideways on many roads, some a lot faster than 35 and not by choice. It is still on all four wheels. I was just wondering, how many of the people injured/killed in these accidents weren't wearing their seatbelts?
 












Have had 5 explorers a 91,95,98,2000 & 2002 Have towed u-hauls with 3 of them the 95,98 & the 2000 used them to haul motorcycles. Most of the trailers I rented were not in very good shape. Lights were not working properly, poor tires and just plain wore out. So I bought my own Wells Cargo, Cargo Wagon and have towed it about 6 thousand miles with no problems. The Explorer has worked just fine. I wouldn't recommend u-haul to anyone and this is based on my past experence.
Reserved a truck from them once and when I went to pick it up is was in such bad shape I cancled the deal and rented from ryder.
Aubrey
 






Originally posted by ausmartin
Hate to rain on your parade guys.

BUT U_HAUL IS RIGHT.

Larger numbers of Ford Explorers have:
1) Roof unable to support vehicles weight with broken windscreen. - see note 1* Pg 82.

2) Vehicle unable to maintain stability with Front tyre blow out at highway speed. (Not just loss of control as you would expect but roll over even if you had train training wheels attached - see note 1*.) pg. 243-244.

3) Poor design of rear suspension causing higher tyre loads, wear etc. again leading to loss of control - see note 1* - read the book.
(Narrow Bronco chassi design & carry over front suspension causing a high centre of gravity as the engine is mounted higher to accomodate the suspension.)

Note 1*
Book "Tragic Indifference" by ADAM L. Penenberg
ISBN 0-06-009058-8

A Non Fiction book of the "real world"


Please don't flame me as I'm just stating the facts including a 1/3 of explorer accidents don't involve tyres and why would Ford be paying out owners or relatives out like fault gamming machine struck by lightning - if there was "No Issue"

Make your own mind up.

Support U-Haul and get them to add the Mecury copy as well to the ban to avoid killing more people.

I believe Ford should recall all Broncos and Ford Explorers and scrap them.

Otherwise coporation like Ford in this case get away with your lives and number of Lawers are making a real great living from this issue as they have collected a large amount of facts that Ford coporate cannot dispute in a court of law.


:(

all i can say to this guy is he needs to stop reading about the "real world" and go live it..u obviously have never drivin an explorer i am 18 and have drivin mountys navajos and expos of varyieng years since i first got my lic and i was not nice to them at all the first time i slide around a corner was in an X and it handeled it fine

get ur nose out of books and breathe somewhat fresh air
 






Originally posted by Dre
BTW - petition signed... one thing makes me wonder though.... nowhere on that site I have been able to locate any names... very strange - don't you think? perhaps U-Haul is trying to get the names of it's enemies?
Dre, the petition site was setup by Rich Stern who runs the www.mysporttrac.com website. I have personally met Rich Stern in person and he is a pretty good guy. He does not work for U-haul. :)
 



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I was just toying... I did sign the petition cause I think that this whole idea of not renting trailers because you want to hook it up to an Explorer is full of crap...

what about their other policies? if they go this route pretty soon all vehicles will ba banned.

We live in society that is just blaming everything on somebody else...

I read the article about those college students and think that they should blame only themself for their actions... not be looking for scapegoats...

What are we??? a bunch of dumb people that don't know how live anymore??? bunch of cry babies???

I tell you... no wonder lawyers don't go to heaven... it's all their fault... they always find a way to make a buck...

sorry - I had to.
 






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