Ford Motor Company: Safety Recalls in 1981

INCORRECT INFORMATION ON TIRE PLACARDS CONSTITUTES A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS". THE INFORMATION CONCERNING TIRE SIZES AND INFLATION PRESSURES IS APPLICABLE TO BOTH TWO AND FOUR DOOR SEDANS. THE STATEMENT COVERS FOUR DOOR BUT FAILS TO SPECIFY TWO DOOR SEDANS.

THE SEVEN-BLADE ENGINE COOLING FAN IS SUBJECT TO FATIGUE CRACKING DURING NORMAL OPERATION. PORTIONS OF THE BLADES MAY SEPARATE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ERROR, CERTAIN FLEXIBLE-BLADE ENGINE COOLING FANS MAY BE SUBJECT TO FATIGUE CRACKING AND BLADE SEPARATION DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.

THE MASTER CYLINDER TO CHASIS BRAKE TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THEIR INTENDED POSITION, WHICH COULD ALLOW CHAFING AGAINST UNDERBODY COMPONENTS. CHAFING PROMOTES WEAR OF THE BRAKE TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY AND COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.

THE OWNER"S GUIDE MAY CONTAIN AN ERROR IN THE WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATION CHART. INCORRECT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN IMPROPER TORQUE OF THE LUG NUTS DURING WHEEL REPLACEMENT. LUG NUTS COULD COME LOOSE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.

DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC HEADLAMP DIMMER RELAYS WERE INSTALLED IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE CONTACTS ARE SUBJECT TO DETERIORATION WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF HIGH OR LOW BEAMS, OR POSSIBLY BOTH.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY". IN A MOVING BARRIER IMPACT TEST FROM THE REAR AT 30 MPH, THE FASTENER ATTACHING THE FUEL SENDER GROUND WIRE TO THE FRAME CROSSMEMBER, AFT OF THE FUEL TANK, PIERCED THE FUEL TANK.

THE HOUSING PLATES ON THE DRIVER SEAT BACK LATCH RECLINER ASSEMBLIES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL PRODUCTS. THIS TAINTED STEEL WAS USED TO PRODUCE SEATBACK LATCHES FOR BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE SEAT ASSEMBLIES. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE DEFECTIVE HOUSING PLATES MAY DISTORT, ALLOWING THE LOCKING TEETH TO DISENGAGE AND TEAR OFF. THIS PERMITS THE SEATBACK TO PIVOT BACKWARDS.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED FUEL INLET. THESE VEHICLES ARE SUBJECT TO STATIC CHARGE ACCUMULATION AT THE FUEL FILLER PIPE OPENING, WHICH CAN OCCUR IF THESE VEHICLES ARE REFUELED FROM AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED DISPENSING NOZZLE.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE RETAINING CLIP MISSING. THE ABSENCE OF A RETAINING CLIP MAY ALLOW THE BRAKE TUBE TO RUB AGAINST THE SHOCK ABSORBER, CAUSING WEAR ON THE TUBE AND, EVENTUALLY, LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.

SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER BRAKE BOOSTERS HAVE FRONT AND REAR SHELLS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY JOINED. IMPROPERLY JOINED BOOSTER SHELLS MAY SEPARATE EITHER PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY DURING BRAKE APPLICATION.

THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT CONNECTION, WHICH PROVIDES PRIMARY ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ENGINE, COULD DETERIORATE DUE TO HIGH CURRENT DRAW PRODUCED BY BUILDER-INSTALLED EQUIPMENT.

THE INVOLVED TRUCKS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A CERTAIN PORTION OF SPECIFIED FLOOR PAN INSULATION MATERIAL (BENEATH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) OMITTED. BECAUSE OF THIS OMISSION, A SECTION OF THE SHEET METAL FLOOR PAN WAS LEFT EXPOSED OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IN AN AREA OF POSSIBLE PASSENGER CONTACT.

CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY NOT MEET APPLICABLE MINIMUM FUEL SPILLAGE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY". DURING A 30 MPH REAR IMPACT TEST, FUEL SPILLAGE LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED BY VEHICLE.

FUEL MAY POSSIBLY TRAVEL THROUGH THE SPEED CONTROL VACUUM LINES AND INTO THE SPEED CONTROL ACTUATION DEVICE (SERV0). THE FUEL CAN DAMAGE SEALS IN THE ACTUATOR SERVO AND ALLOW VACUUM LEAKS. SUCH A LEAK COULD ACTIVATE THE SPEED CONTROL WITHOUT ANY ACTION ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO GRADUALLY ACCELERATE.

THE GEAR POSITION INDICATORS ON CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY BE TOO SHORT TO BE READILY VISIBLE TO SOME DRIVERS. THIS IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 101, "CONTROLS AND DISPLAY", WHICH STATES THAT THE GEAR POSITION DISPLAY MUST BE VISIBLE TO DRIVER.

CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE DISC PORTION OF THE WHEEL WELDED TO THE RIM DURING MANUFACTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE WHEEL COULD BE SUBJECT TO SUDDEN SEPARATION OF THE RIM AND TIRE FROM THE WHEEL DISC.

CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITHOUT THE SPECIFIED FUEL TANK SHIELD WHICH PREVENTS DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND DRIVELINE COMPONENTS. DURING A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST, AS SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY", FUEL LEAKAGE MAY OCCUR.

THIS IS A MANUFACTURER"S NOTICE TO ADVISE OWNERS OF PROPER VEHICLE OPERATION. THE PARKING GEAR MAY NOT BE SECURELY ENGAGED AFTER THE OPERATOR HAS ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT TO PARK. THE VEHICLE MAY APPEAR TO BE IN PARK THOUGH ACTUALLY IN REVERSE. THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY.