Ford Motor Company: Safety Recalls in 1983

CRACKS MAY DEVELOP IN THE SPIDER MEMBER OF SEVEN BLADE FANS DUE TO VIBRATIONS OF GREATER SEVERITY THAN ANTICIPATED. THE CRACKS MAY PROGRESS TO THE POINT OF FRACTURE AND ALLOW PORTIONS OF THE SPIDER ARMS AND ATTACHED BLADES TO SEPARATE.

THE BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE D-SHAPED RING FOR THE SHOULDER BELT ARE INADEQUATELY SUPPORTED BY THE MATERIAL IN WHICH THEY ARE MOUNTED. THE ATTACHMENT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES".

VEHICLES MAY HAVE FUEL OR VAPOR LINE DAMAGE CAUSED WHEN AN INCORRECT PROCEDURE WAS USED IN TIGHTENING BOLTS ON ADJACENT COMPONENTS DURING ASSEMBLY. THE FUEL TANK MAY BECOME DAMAGED DUE TO A LOOSE CROSS MEMBER THAT SUPPORTS IT.

INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD AND THE THROTTLE LINKAGE COULD DAMAGE THE LINKAGE AND PREVENT THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE POSITION. THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO INSTALLATION OF THE INCORRECT HOOD STYLE DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH BOLTS OF AN INCORRECT SIZE FOR ATTACHMENT OF THE FRONT ENGINE MOUNTS TO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS WILL LOOSEN AND EVENTUALLY FALL OFF AND THE ENGINE MAY COME OFF ITS FRONT ENGINE MOUNTS. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE FUEL LINE BECOMING DAMAGED OR SEPARATED IN CONDITIONS SUCH AS DRIVING OVER ROUGH ROADS OR IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.

FUEL SUPPLY TUBES INSTALLED IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE TOO SHORT. CONSEQUENTLY, FLEXIBLE HOSES THAT ATTACH TO THE TUBES MAY BE TAUT AND THIS WOULD HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE DURABILITY OF HOSE CONNECTIONS. IN THE EVENT OF HOSE SEPARATION, SOME FUEL SPILLAGE WOULD OCCUR.

DOOR LOCK PILLARS COULD DEVELOP FATIGUE CRACKS FROM NORMAL USAGE OF DOOR, AT THE POINT WHERE DOOR LATCH STRIKER REINFORCEMENTS ARE ATTACHED.

IN THE EVENT OF A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THE HEADLAMP AND INTERIOR ILLUMINATION CONTROL SWITCHES COULD OVERHEAT.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH IMPROPERLY WELDED FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAPS. UNDER CERTAIN COLLISION CONDITIONS, THESE STRAPS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE FUEL TANK AND LEAKS COULD DEVELOP.

IN A COLLISION, BOLTS MAY DAMAGE OR PIERCE A FUEL LINE, CAUSING FUEL SPILLAGE. AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY NOT BE CAPABLE OF MEETING THE MINIMUM FUEL LEAKAGE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY".

FUEL LEAKS COULD DEVELOP IN EITHER OF TWO CONNECTIONS IN A FUEL SUPPLY LINE. ONE CONNECTION UNDER THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. THE OTHER SUSPECT PART IS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CONTAINS A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE.

COOLING FAN BLADES MAY CRACK AND SEPARATE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT WITHSTAND STRESS FROM VIBRATIONS THAT OCCUR DURING NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH LEFT REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE INCORRECTLY PRODUCED AND MAY HAVE ONE OR TWO AUTOMATIC BRAKE ADJUSTERS THAT WERE INTENDED FOR RIGHT REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THE ADJUSTER WORKS BACKWARDS AND INCREASES THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE LINING AND DRUM, INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING IT.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER SPRING SEAT ATTACHING STUDS. THESE STUDS COULD FRACTURE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, ALLOWING THE LOWER SPRING SEAT TO MOVE AND POSSIBLY SLIDE OFF THE AXLE.

THE PARKING GEAR MAY NOT ENGAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. THIS OCCURS IF THE LINKAGE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION THAT ACTUATES THE PARK GEAR WAS IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. A PIN THAT RETAINS COMPONENTS ON A LINKAGE (ACTUATING) ROD COULD BREAK AND THE LINKAGE MAY NOT ENGAGE THE PARKING GEAR.

THE FLEXIBLE BLADE ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADES MAY CRACK AND BREAK OFF. THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY HIGH BLADE STRESSES THAT CAN RESULT FROM VIBRATION DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.

THE MANUFACTURER SUSPECTS THAT THE HARDWARE THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT TRACKS (THE STRIPS THAT THE SEAT SLIDES ON) TO THE FLOOR MAY BECOME LOOSE OR MAY FAIL TO HOLD THE SEAT IN PLACE DURING A COLLISION. THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF AN INCORRECT WASHER DURING MANUFACTURE. THE VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH THE STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS".

THE SHIFT INDICATOR MAY NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE SHIFT SELECTOR POSITION. SOME VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIPS THAT MAY NOT BE HARD ENOUGH. THE CLIP MAY LOOSEN OR FALL OFF, AND THE SELECTOR TUBE MAY BECOME DISPLACED.

THE PORTION OF THE ROOF ABOVE FRAME (RAIL) TO WHICH THE SHOULDER BELT IS ANCHORED MAY HAVE A SLOT THAT CAN COMPROMISE THE STRENGTH OF THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR UNDER CERTAIN SEVERE LOADS. (THE SUSPECT AREA IS NOT VISIBLE.) CONSEQUENTLY, SOME VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL MAY NOT MEET THE 3000 POUND ANCHORAGE STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES".

ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE WIRING ASSEMBLY TO THE FLOOR MOUNTED HEADLAMP DIMMER SWITCH MAY BE TOO TIGHT; SHOULD WIRES DISCONNECT, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT OPERATE.

SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH FUEL TANKS THAT HAVE INADEQUATELY WELDED FRONT SEAMS THAT CAN LEAK.