Ford Motor Company: Safety Recalls in 1982

THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM STEEL WITH MATERIAL THICKNESS BELOW THE MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR POLICE DUTY. THIS COULD LEAD TO CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE CONTROL ARMS, AND EVENTUALLY, THE POSSIBILITY OF FRACTURE OF AN ARM.

FUEL SYSTEM ON THE SUSPECT VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY". THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT PROJECTILE FUEL TANK SHIELDS.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE A DIODE IN THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP CIRCUIT THAT MAY SHORT DURING ENGINE STARTING DUE TO INADEQUATE CAPACITY TO WITHSTAND CURRENT DRAW. A SHORT CIRCUIT WOULD RESULT IN NORMAL ENGINE STARTING, BUT THE PUMP WILL NOT CONTINUE TO SUPPLY THE ENGINE WITH FUEL.

THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH AN INCORRECT END CLAMP ON THE HAND THROTTLE ACTUATING CABLE. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, PERTAINING TO THE CLAMP-TO-THROTTLE CABLE ORIENTATION AND DISTANCES OF THE CABLE TO GOVERNOR SHAFT, THE THROTTLE CABLE END CLAMP MAY INTERFERE WITH THE OUTBOARD ACCELERATOR.

THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO CHASSIS TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHAFING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. CONTINUED CHAFING MAY RESULT IN TUBE OR HOSE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE LOCK WEDGES USED TO SECURE THE AXLE BEARING NUTS TO THE AXLE HOUSING MAY FALL OUT OF POSITION, ALLOWING THE NUT TO LOOSEN. THE NUT ON THE LEFT SIDE MAY FALL OFF, ALLOWING MOVEMENT OF THE AXLE SHAFT.

THE SPRINGS THAT ASSIST IN RAISING THE HOOD MAY DETACH FROM THE HOOD WITHOUT WARNING. THE HOOD CAN BE IN ANY POSITION WHEN THIS OCCURS.

THE PARK LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAINS A DEFECTIVE SPRING WHICH COULD PREVENT AUTOMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING GEAR.

AN INCORRECT INSULATOR MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE STEERING SHIFT CANE LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THIS INSULATOR IS USED TO CONNECT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE TO THE SHIFT CANE LEVER. IF THE SHIFT LINKAGE WERE TO SEPARATE FROM THE SHIFT LEVER, OPERATOR WOULD BE UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE STUCK IN THE LAST GEAR USED BEFORE THE SEPARATION TOOK PLACE.

ON THE INVOVLED VEHICLES THE DRIVER"S SIDE AND PASSENGER"S OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED. THIS FAILS TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 111, "REARVIEW MIRRORS".

UNDER CERTAIN TOLERANCE CONDITIONS, THE ACCELERATOR ROD MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ACCELERATOR RETURN SPRING BRACKET, CREATING THE POSSIBILITY OF A MOMENTARY DELAY IN THE RETURN OF THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE TO THE IDLE POSITION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR AT 3/4 THROTTLE BECAUSE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR ROD AND BRACKET IS AT A MINIMUM AT THIS POINT.

DURING A CRASH BARRIER TEST, THE RUBBER HOSE CONNECTING THE FUEL TANK AND THE METAL FILLER PIPE VENT TUBE WAS CUT, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. THE INVOLVED VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY".

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, A THERMAL LIMITER IN THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR CIRCUIT OF THE AIR CONDITIONER/HEATER ASSEMBLY MAY NOT FUNCTION AS INTENDED. IF THE BLOWER MOTOR BECOMES JAMMED WHEN THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING IN THE MEDIUM-LOW BLOWER SPEED, THE RESISTOR COILS CAN OVERHEAT CAUSING MELTING AND POSSIBLE IGNITION.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH AN INADEQUATE SEAL BETWEEN THE FUEL FILLER PIPE-HOUSING ASSEMBLY AND THE FUEL FILLER OPENING-COLLAR ASSEMBLY. TWO ATTACHING SCREWS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS JOINT WERE OMITTED DURING ASSEMBLY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A SMALL QUANTITY OF OVERFLOW FUEL COULD LEAK INTO THE RIGHT REAR FENDER WELL BEHIND THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT TRIM PANEL IF FUEL "SPIT-BACK" OR OVERFILLING WERE TO OCCUR DURING REFUELING.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE MUFFLER GRASS SHIELDS WERE INADVERTENTLY OMITTED DURING MANUFACTURE. WITHOUT THE GRASS SHIELD, AND DURING CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE MUFFLER SURFACE TEMPERATURES COULD BECOME HOT ENOUGH TO EXCEED SPECIFIED STANDARDS AND CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR IGNITING TALL GRASSES IF THEY WERE PRESENT BENEATH A STANDING VEHICLE.

SOME OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED PROPANE FUEL SYSTEM FITTINGS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT; FUEL LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE STANDARD NO. 124, "ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS", DUE TO FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE TO RETURN COMPLETELY TO IDLE UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WITH ONE OF THE TWO ACCELERATOR CONTROL RETURN SPRINGS INOPERATIVE.

SOME OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE INCORRECTLY INDEXED AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE STARTER SOLENOID. CABLE INSULATION DAMAGE COULD OCCUR DUE TO METAL ON METAL CONTACT DURING MAXIMUM ENGINE ROLL CONDITIONS. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT MAY DEVELOP BETWEEN THE BATTERY CABLE AND A BRAKE TUBE. A HOLE COULD BE FORMED IN THE BRAKE TUBE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY.

THE REINFORCEMENT FOR THE IN-BOX SPARE TIRE CARRIER MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACHED USING INCORRECT HEX HEAD BOLTS. IF THE CARRIER AND REINFORCEMENT ATTACHING BOLTS ARE INCORRECT, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE TIRE SIDEWALL TO BE DAMAGED OR WEAKENED BY EXTENDED CONTACT WITH THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BOLT HEADS.

ON SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE SHIFT ROD IN THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SEATED IN THE RETENTION GROMMET OF THE STEERING COLUMN SHIFT LEVER ASSEMBLY. IF THE SHIFT ROD WERE TO DISENGAGE, THE DRIVER COULD NOT SELECT THE PROPER TRANSMISSION FUNCTION WHICH WOULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE.