Ford Motor Company: Safety Recalls in 1986

DEFORMED BRAKE ROD COVERS MAY INTERFERE WITH RETURN OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: ENGINE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

RUBBER THAT ENCASES BALL STUD AND SOCKET JOINT (CONNECTS STEERING DRAG LINK AND PITMAN ARM) MAY DETERIORATE AND CAUSE METAL TO METAL CONTACT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE DRAG LINK TO PITMAN ARM CONNECTION COULD OCCUR RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.

LEFT AND/OR RIGHT REAR SPINDLE ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF SPINDLE STEM SEPARATES, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLIES CONTAIN LOWER SHAFTS OF INSUFFICIENT LENGTH FOR PROPER ATTACHMENT TO THE SHAFT INSULATOR FLANGE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SHAFT COULD SEPARATE, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.

WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MAY BE MISROUTED AND SUBJECT TO DAMAGE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD OCCUR (DURING USE OR WHEN PARKED) WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

FUEL TANKS MAY HAVE BEEN SCORED OR PENETRATED WHEN FLOOR PAN MOUNTING HOLES FOR THE PARTITIONS WERE DRILLED. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: FUEL LEAKAGE MAY OCCUR AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE WOULD EXIST.

TRUCKS FAIL TO MEET REQUIREMENT OF FMVSS NO. 301, FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY, IN A 30 MPH FRONT ANGULAR BARRIER TEST IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE OMISSION OF THE NOSE SHIELD ON MIDSHIP FUEL TANK. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE TRUCKS WHICH DO NOT MEET THE FMVSS INCREASES THE RISK OF A FIRE.

HAND THROTTLE CONTROLS WERE NOT IDENTIFIED EITHER ON THE CONTROL KNOB OR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS REQUIRED BY FMVSS 101. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: TRUCKS ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 101, CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS.

UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, CONTACTS IN BRAKE SYSTEM RELAY COULD REMAIN CLOSED, CAUSING THE BRAKE PUMP MOTOR TO RUN CONTINUOUSLY, CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT AND EVENTUALLY FAIL. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SHOULD THE BRAKE SUPPLY MOTOR FAIL, THE POWER ASSIST TO THE FRONT BRAKES WILL BE LOST, AND AFTER ABOUT 10 TO 15 NORMAL BRAKE STOPS, LOSS OF REAR BRAKE FUNCTION WILL RESULT, CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. HOWEVER, THE INSTRUMENT BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE PRIOR TO REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY AND IF WARNING IS NOT HEEDED, AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR.

THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER MAY HANG UP AND NOT FULLY RETURN TO THE "ON" POSITION FROM THE "START" POSITION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE ENGINE WILL REMAIN RUNNING, BUT THE BATTERY CURRENT TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM SUPPLY MOTOR WILL BE INTERRUPTED. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: WITH POWER TO MOST ACCESSORIES AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM SUPPLY MOTOR INTERRUPTED, THE POWER ASSIST TO THE FRONT BRAKE WILL BE LOST AND AFTER ABOUT 10 TO 15 NORMAL BRAKE STOPS, LOSS OF REAR BRAKE FUNCTION WILL RESULT, CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. HOWEVER, THE INSTRUMENT BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE PRIOR TO REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY AND IF WARNING IS NOT HEEDED, AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR.

THE RUBBER THAT ENCASES BALL STUD AND SOCKET JOINT (CONNECTS STEERING DRAG LINK AND PITMAN ARM) MAY DETERIORATE, CAUSING METAL TO METAL CONTACT, AND MAY EVENTUALLY RESULT IN COMPLETE SEPARATION. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE DRAG LINK TO PITMAN ARM CONNECTION RESULTS IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHICH MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

COMPOSITE GRAPHITE DRIVESHAFTS ARE SUBJECT TO OVERHEATING WHILE IDLING, WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE DRIVESHAFT TWISTING AND SHORTENING CAUSING THE SLIP YOKE TO DISCONNECT FROM THE TRANSMISSION. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THE DRIVESHAFT DISCONNECTS FROM THE TRANSMISSION THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME IMMOBILE WITHOUT WARNING.

BUSES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT TYPE OF STEEL TUBING IN THE INTERMEDIATE REAR SERVICE BRAKE LINES WHICH MAY LEAK OR BREAK DURING APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF A BRAKE LINE LEAKED, REAR BRAKES COULD QUIT WORKING, INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

THE FORWARD BOLT THAT PROVIDES PART OF THE ATTACHMENT BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT CUSHION FRAME MAY BE SUBJECT TO FATIGUE FRACTURE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THIS BOLT BREAKS, THE DRIVER AND SEAT BACK WILL FALL BACK, WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE DRIVER LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

HEADLAMP COVERS WERE INSTALLED ON VEHICLES IN ERROR. CAUSING THE CARS NOT TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE HEADLAMP COVERS MAY HINDER THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE CAR IN DARKNESS AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY.

IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED STEEL ROLLERS USED IN THE REAR WHEEL PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM CAUSES THE ROLLERS TO BECOME BRITTLE AND MAY FRACTURE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: ROLLERS COULD FRACTURE WHEN THE PARKING BRAKES ARE SET, RESULTING IN REDUCTION OR COMPLETE LOSS OF PARKING BRAKE HOLDING CAPABILITY, WHICH MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

THE OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS DO NOT MEET THE 50 SQUARE INCH MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF FMVSS 111-REARVIEW MIRRORS. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE STANDARD REQUIRES A MINIMUM DIMENSION FOR REARVIEW MIRRORS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FIELD OF VISION WHICH AIDS IN PREVENTING ACCIDENTS.

THE RIGHT QUARTER WINDOWS MAY CONTAIN GLASS WHICH WAS IMPROPERLY TEMPERED. THIS GLASS MAY YIELD PIECES LARGER THAN THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED BY FMVSS 205, GLAZING MATERIAL. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT THESE LARGE PIECES OF GLASS MAY SERIOUSLY INJURE THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR.

WIRING CONNECTIONS IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR FLUID LEVEL SENSORS WERE REVERSED AND FAIL TO INDICATE LOW FLUID LEVELS AS SPECIFIED BY FMVSS 105, HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SENSOR WILL NOT TRANSMIT SIGNAL TO BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WHEN THE FLUID LEVEL IS LESS THAN ONE FOURTH FULL. WITHOUT THIS WARNING SIGNAL THE FLUID LEVEL MAY DECREASE TO THE POINT WHERE PARTIAL OR COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKE WOULD BE EXPERIENCED AND MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

THERE MAY BE INADEQUATE WELDING IN SOME UNDERBODY STRUCTURAL AREAS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE REAR SUSPENSION ATTACHMENTS, WHICH MAY CAUSE IT TO SEPARATE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF REAR SUSPENSION ATTACHMENTS SHOULD SEPARATE FROM THE UNDERBODY DURING VEHICLE USE, THE AXLE COULD SHIFT DURING ACCELERATION OR BRAKING AND MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE STEERING CONTROL WHICH MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.