Ford F-150 Investigations

59 ODI actions on file.

• RQRQ98003RECALLOpened 3/6/1998
  ICE FORMATION IN THE THROTTLE BODY
  VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE98009CLOSEDOpened 2/13/1998
  INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION TORSION BAR
  SUSPENSION

  THREE CONSUMERS HAVE REPORTED FAILURE OF ONE OF THE TWO FRONT SUSPENSION TORSION BARS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ONE CASE THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION, AND THE VEHICLES WERE PARKED WHEN THE OTHER TWO FAILURES OCCURRED.NO CRASHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.TORSION BAR FAILURES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE FAIRLY UNCOMMON AND IN EACH OF THE REPORTED CASES, THE FAILURES OCCURRED AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGES.THE FAILURES ARE ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE OCCURRED IN A COMMON LOCATION, APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES FROM THE CONTROL ARM.A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN OPENED TO EVALUATE THE SCOPE AND POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF THESE FAILURES.

• EAEA97027RECALLOpened 12/24/1997
  WHEEL SEPARATION
  WHEELS

  BY LETTER DATED MAY 6, 1998, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED NHTSA OF ITS DECISION TO INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL OF APPROXIMATELY 1,520,000 OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, INCLUDING F-250 LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, AND NAVIGATOR VEHICLES BUILT AT THE NORFOLK, MICHIGAN TRUCK, KANSAS CITY, AND ONTARIO TRUCK ASSEMBLY PLANTS BETWEEN DECEMBER 1, 1995 AND MID-APRIL 1998.NHTSA HAS DESIGNATED THIS RECALL ACTION AS CAMPAIGN NUMBER 98V-095.

• PEPE97033CLOSEDOpened 7/14/1997
  WHEEL SEPARATION FROM VEHICLE
  WHEELS

  IN ADDITION TO THE A FAILURE REPORT TABULATIONS GIVEN ABOVE, THE MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT AN ADDITIONAL 33 OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS HAVE BEEN FILED WHICH REFER TO PROBLEMS (LUG NOT TORQUE LOSS, LUG BOLT FRACTURE) THAT DID NOT INVOLVE ACTUAL WHEEL SEPARATION, BUT WHICH MAY BE POTENTIALLY RELEVANT EVENTS.THE MANUFACTURER ALSO REPORTED THAT A TOTAL OF 815 WARRANTY CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED FOR REPAIRS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE MATTER BY PURCHASING THE VEHICLES BACK FROM OWNERS AS A GOODWILL MEASURE.THE WHEEL SEPARATIONS CITED IN THIS PE INCLUDE MANY WHICH OCCURRED WITH THE VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN; IN THESE CASES SOME PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE ITSELF ALMOST ALWAYS RESULTED FROM COLLAPSE OF THE SUSPENSION .THE CRASH INCIDENTS CITED IN THE TABULATIONS ABOVE ARE LIMITED TO THOSE INCIDENTS IN WHICH DAMAGE WAS ALSO SUSTAINED BY A SECOND VEHICLE OR A FIXED OBJECT.THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT PROBLEMS OF LUG NOT TORQUE RETENTION HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED DURING VEHICLE FINAL ASSEMBLY, AND FAILURE ANALYSES INDICATE THAT LUG NUT TORQUE LOSS COULD RESULT IN FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE LUG BOLTS. THERE ARE ALSO INDICATIONS THAT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE LUG NUTS MAY BE UNUSUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO OVER-TORQUING, RESULTING IN PLASTIC DEFORMATION OF THE LUG BOLTS WHICH IN TURN, COULD LEAD TO FATIGUE FAILURE.DUE TO THE OPEN ISSUES AND QUESTION RAISED BY THE PE, THIS MATTER HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.

• PEPE97019RECALLOpened 5/6/1997
  FAILURE TRANSMISSION PARK ENGAGEMENT/LOC
  POWER TRAIN

  BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 4, 1997, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED RECALL ACTION WOULD BE INITIATED TO CORRECT A POTENTIAL FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE IN APPROXIMATELY 15,000 OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE SUSPECT CABLES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TELEFLEX AUTOMOTIVE AND INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT F-150 TRUCKS BUILT AT FORD'S NORFORLK AND KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANTS BETWEEN FEBRUARY 16, 1996 AND MARCH 4, 1996.A COPY OF THE FORD'S LETTER TO NHTSA REGARDING THIS RECALL ACTION IS ATTACHED.BASED ON THE PENDING SAFETY RECALL (97V-147), THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.

• EAEA96020RECALLOpened 8/30/1996
  SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
  SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

  FORD NOTIFIED ODI THAT THEY ARE CONDUCTING A RECALL TO INSPECT AND, AS NECESSARY, REPAIR THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENTS ON 1997 FORD F150 VEHICLES BUILT FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION THROUGH APRIL OF 1996.ODI'S DATABASE CONTAINS ONE COMPLAINT ALLEGING THE CENTER FRONT SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR.FORD HAS LOCATED 60 ADDITIONAL FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT APPEAR TO BE THE RESULT OF IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF OR MISSING SEAT BELT COMPONENTS ON VEHICLES BUILT AT BOTH THE KANSAS CITY AND NORFOLK ASSEMBLY PLANTS.COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT A SEAT BELT WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR, NOT ATTACHED, NOT HOOKED UP, OR THE OWNER COMPLAINED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS LOOSE.THE CAUSES HAVE INCLUDED A MISSING BOLT, MISSING NUT, BOLT HOLE NOT THREADED, WELD NUT MISSING, OR BOLT NOT COMPLETELY TIGHTENED INTO ITS MOUNTING HOLE.THE ALLEGED CONDITIONS HAVE OCCURRED IN ALL POTENTIAL SEATING POSITIONS IN THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS IN BOTH THE REGULAR AND SUPER CAB MODELS.FORD'S ANALYSIS OF THEIR COMPLAINTS INDICATE THAT THIS SITUATION OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY IN VEHICLES BUILT FROM AUGUST 14, 1995 THROUGH APRIL 30 1996.IN LATE APRIL, IN RESPONSE TO THE FIELD REPROTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS, FORD RETAINED LINE OPERATORS, LINE SUPERVISORS, AND PLANT REPAIR PERSONNEL.OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE CONDITION AND INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO DEALERS FOR INSPECTION OF AND, AS NECESSARY, REPAIR OF SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENTS.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.RECALL 96V-256

• PEPE96030RECALLOpened 4/18/1996
  SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
  SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

  ODI'S DATABASE CONTAINS ONE COMPLAINT ALLEGING THE CENTER FRONT SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR.FORD SUBMITTED 28 ADDITIONAL FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS ALLEGING THAT A SEAT BELT WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR, NOT ATTACHED, NOT HOOKED UP, OR THE OWNER COMPLAINTED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS LOOSE.THE CAUSES HAVE INCLUDED A MISSING BOLT, MISSING NUT, BOLT HOLE NOT THREADED, WELD NUT MISSING, OR BOLT NOT COMPLETELY TIGHTENED INTO MOUNTING HOLE.FORD STATES THAT FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE NON-ATTACHMENT OF THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE INCLUDE IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF OR MISSING COMPONENTS.FORD HAS MADE NO MODIFICATIONS OR CHANGES TO THE INSTALLATION PROCEDURES OF THE SEAT BELTS AT THE FACTORY. HOWEVER, FORD STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURING PLANT HAS ADDED A REDUNDANT INSPECTION FOR THIS ALLEGED CONDITION.OVER 95% OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED WERE BUILT ON OR BEFORE MAY 1, 1996 AND OVER 80% OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED WERE BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OR 1996.THE ALLEGED CONDITIONS HAVE OCCURRED IN ALL POTENTIAL SEATING POSITIONS IN THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS IN BOTH THE REGULAR AND SUPER CAB MODELS.FORD BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A PATTERN WITH REGARD TO ANY PARTICULAR BELT LOCATION.ODI IS UPGRADIG THIS INVESTIGATION TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPORTS GATHERED TO DATE AND TO ASSESS THE IMPACT THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS ON HIGHWAY SAFETY.

• EAEA93022CLOSEDOpened 7/30/1993
  IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  There is no summary currently available

• EAEA93020RECALLOpened 7/28/1993
  PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE93015CLOSEDOpened 3/9/1993
  PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE93010CLOSEDOpened 3/2/1993
  IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  There is no summary currently available

• EAEA93001RECALLOpened 1/7/1993
  FUEL EXPULSION
  VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE92077CLOSEDOpened 9/9/1992
  FUEL EXPULSION
  VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

  There is no summary currently available

• EAEA92029CLOSEDOpened 8/27/1992
  FRONT SEAT BACK FAILURE
  SEATS

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE92042CLOSEDOpened 4/17/1992
  FNT RECLNING SEAT BCK FAIL
  SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

  There is no summary currently available

• EAEA91044RECALLOpened 10/30/1991
  LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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• EAEA91031RECALLOpened 6/26/1991
  FUEL EXPULSION
  VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE91077CLOSEDOpened 5/23/1991
  LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  There is no summary currently available

• PEPE91064CLOSEDOpened 4/9/1991
  TRANSMISSION FLUID FIRES
  POWER TRAIN

  There is no summary currently available