Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | ||||||||||||||||
| 98V322000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 03/15/1996 to 12/14/1998 | V (Vehicle) | 175000 | 01/18/1999 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 12/16/1998 | 12/18/1998 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: certain 1996-1999 ford crown victoria police, fleet, natural gas, and 1996-1999 lincoln town car limousine vehicles that were produced with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing; and 1990-1996 ford crown victoria police, fleet, and ngv vehicles and 1990-1996 lincoln town car limousine vehicles that have been serviced with either a ball joint containing the one-piece bearing or a front lower control arm containing a ball joint with a one-piece bearing. the one-piece bearing within the lower control arm ball joint can weaken slowly during use and eventually crack. this could result in separation of the ball and cap of the joint, allowing the control arm to drop to the ground. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this occurs while the vehicle is moving, reduced steering control could occur, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2). | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification is expected to begin january 18, 1999.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 97090297182 | 09/02/1997 | 54068 | Some vehicles may experience a lean right condition. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| BC0706961022 | 10/22/1996 | 50376 | Light to moderate axle noise (axle whine) at 50 to 65 mph (80 to 105 kph) during accels, decels or cruise. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| BC0311970201 | 01/02/1997 | 51110 | Whine/noise from rear axle between 50-65 mph. driveshaft and #4 crossmember frame dracket kit. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | ||||||
| RQ03002 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 01/03/2003 | 06/03/2003 | BALL JOINT SEPARATION | ||
| See attached report. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 08/06/2005 | 159865 | 6 | 07/29/2005 |
| I recently got the vehicle and its already giving me problems. the car drifts to the side and the motor is giving me problems the car has not even reached 1500 miles since i got it and its already causing me problems. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| First i would like to say that what i hear about the grand marquis having problem with the fuel tank is rather disturbing to me i am aware now that these cars are capable of catching on fire if hit from behind. i carry three small children to school every morning in "this car" i have contacted the ford corp. about this problem and they seem to not be bothered about this fact. now to my other problems. i have just replaced my intake manifold because the one that came with the car cracked while i was driving it. my mechanic stated that he found out that it was a very common problem with the 1996 mercury grand marquis. the ford corp. has redesigned the intake manifold for this model and raised the price from about 250.00 to almost 500.00. in july of 2002 there was a part that went out on my a/c unit that i had to replace (i have to contact my mechanic to see what part it was that was replaced) in july 2002 i had to have my roters turned, in january 2003, i had to have them turned agian and have my right back roter repaced because it was no longer good. (all this was done on january 10 2003 now it is jan. 20, 2003 and my right front roter is grinding again (i also had new brakes put on all around jan.10,2003. my driver side door is drooping because it needs a new pin put in... my car also seems to balk when i push on the gas peddal,my car also has a popping noise when i hit a hole or turn. when i called the ford corp. on these issues they seemed liked they really didn't care about any of these things. maybe you might know someone that i could contact in the ford corp. that is "high up" and that would listen to my oncerns. thank you for your time, sincerly, diane | |||
| 06/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| A arm bracket which is attached to the front suspension is broken. consumer discovered it when she heard a noise coming from the vehicle, and had a mechanic check the noise out. after checking the vehicle mechanic advised her to take the vehicle to a dealer for repair because it looked as a manufacture r's problem.*ak | |||
| 12/12/1999 | |||
| Engine rocker arm was replaced. also, consumer experienced shaking and trembling when he drove vehicle. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 06/16/2011 | 125000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 1996 ford crown victoria. the contact stated while pulling out of the driveway the front driver side lower control arm broke. the contact has not called manufacturer regarding the lower control arm. the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the failure mileage was 125,000. jo | |||
| 07/01/1997 | 4 | 06/01/1997 | |
| The vehicle has many more problems that are not listed and they started shortly after purchase. i have all the records with correct dates, times, mileages, and etc. of all the problems. i would be more than happy to mail you copies of everything about my vehicle. please feel free to contact me. // i used a family members computer to send in this complaint form so please contact me by mail or telephone. thank you for your time and concern in this matter. *ak | |||
| 06/05/1996 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| On 06/05/1996 evening shift lt. c. davis was driving vehicle #102, a 1996 ford crown victoria police package sedan. was coming to a stop on city street when lf ball joint nut came off. lf suspension came loose and vehicle landed on pavement. called wrecker service had vehicle towed to vehicle services. ball joint nut was found and placed in ash tray of #102. vehicle towed to bobby jones ford on 06/06/1996. replaced lf suspension arm assy. vehicle services checked other cruisers. no other ball joint problems found. saw article in fleet management-oct.98/vehicle recall report. | |||
| 10/01/1995 | 03/27/1996 | ||
| Steering failure. | |||
| 07/25/1996 | 2 | 07/24/1996 | |
| Vehicle misaligned twice. | |||
| 1 | 01/26/1996 | ||
| Consumer wa sdriving and sometimes the steering jerks, also front end misalignment, while going around curves to the left, steering wheel will suddenly pull left, almost causing loss of control. *ak | |||
| 04/01/1996 | |||
| Front bracket broken, that the steering and the front end of vehicle. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 07/06/1999 | 1 | ||
| Front suspension components have failed (tie rods, control arms). *mjs | |||
| 09/24/1998 | 1 | 08/01/1996 | |
| Left front ball joint failed. *et | |||
| 06/06/1998 | 1 | ||
| While driving at highway speeds, making a turn on a smooth curve, vehicle just straightened out unexpectedly. pitman arm and control arm were relaced at owner's expense. *ak | |||
| 01/21/1998 | |||
| Vehicle has had the front ball joint and inner tie rods replaced. recall was ordered on vehicle. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Noise heard from the front ball joint area. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Noise from the front ball joint area. | |||
| 2 | |||
| Ball joint failure on two police vehicles (1996 crown victorias). | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Lower control arm/ball joints failed, causing front end to feel loose. (qcaw) | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Lower control arm/ball joints failed causing vehicle to feel loose in the front end. (qcaw) | |||
| 06/13/1998 | 1 | ||
| Police officer's vehicle was slowing down when the wheel went into wheel housing area (fender). vehicle collapsed downward. mechanic noticed that grease fitting was missing & balljoints fell out. *ak *slc | |||
| 06/13/1998 | 1 | ||
| Police cruiser: slowing down. wheel goes into wheel housing (fender). this caused vehice to drop. mechanic noticed grease fitting was omitted. this caused the ball joints to fall out. *ak | |||
| 06/16/1998 | 1 | 04/29/1996 | |
| Police officer's vehicle has ball joints falling out. mechanic had noticed the grease fitting was missing. this could cause the wheel to go into the wheel housing (fender). *ak *slc | |||
| 06/13/1998 | 2 | 04/29/1996 | |
| Police officer was slowing down when wheel went into fender area (wheel housing), causing vehicle to be inoperable. mechanic noticed that grease fitting was omitted. this caused the ball joints to fall out. *ak *slc | |||
| 06/20/1996 | |||
| Ball joint connecting pitman arm to drag link (track rod) fell off. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| 10/17/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated having the same problem as recall#98v322000 lower control arm. dealer notified ts | |||
| 10/20/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving 60 mph intake manifold cracked and coolants was all over the engine. it was almost inpossible to keep control of vehicle. lower ball joints were cracked. technician stated that ford was fixing this problem on the police vehicles. *ak | |||
| 02/15/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| The front suspension lower control arm ball joint was wore to the point of possible seperation, there was a recall on or 1998 crown vic , but the recall was not made for the 1996 and there was a serious problem | |||
| Lower control arm broke while driving. owner notes of investigation on problem. *ak | |||
| 06/05/1998 | 1 | ||
| Lower control arm bushings failed. | |||
| 06/02/1998 | 0 | ||
| While driving could hear noise from the front of vehicle (like cracking noise). was inspecting the vehicle and saw a few cracks on the lower ball joints. consumer had contacted dealer and manufacturer. *ak | |||
| 08/09/1996 | 1 | 02/05/1996 | |
| Lower control arm weld failure, causing vibration and slight pull when brakes are applied/diminished steering and braking control. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 08/21/2006 | 280000 | 1 | 05/03/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the lower control arm ball joint fractured while driving 20 mph on a dry highway. there was a nhtsa recall, # 98v322000, regarding the suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. | |||
| 08/03/2005 | 88500 | 1 | |
| Dt: consumer has a 1996 ford crown victoria. he complained about a lower ball joint problem. he found, on the internet nhtsa recall 98v322000 . he went to ford web site and entered the vin the web site showed that this vehicle was not included in recall. the vehicle is now not drivable due to ball join problem. lower ball failed on 8-3-2005 while driving. there was no accident, he traveling ball joint separated just like mentioned in the recall. consumer would like to have vehicle included in this recall. *ak | |||
| 08/04/2004 | 60300 | 1 | 11/26/2003 |
| While driving at any speed consumer heard a groaning sound. vehicle was parked parked when the right front end collapsed. a repair shop examined the vehicle, and found that the lower right ball joints broke.*ak updated 11/18/09. *lj updated 11/19/09.*jb | |||
| 02/24/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1996 | |
| Front passenger side ball joint failed,dealer refused recall repairs due to milage. | |||
| 02/12/1999 | |||
| Vehicle experienced lower ball joint failure while driving at approimately. 40 mph. dealer notified and informed consumer that vehicle was not under a manufacturer's recall even though a recall notice was received concerning that defect in late jan of 1999. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Two of the 1996 fleet vehicles (crown victorias) have had failed lower ball joints, one incident leading to the collapse of the vehicle's front wheel asembly. | |||
| 02/24/1999 | |||
| Consumer was driving aproximately 40mph when the ball joint separated. there is an open investigation at this time--id#-ie-98-040, the vin# of this vehicle is not included. consumer's offering to send part(s) to (odi) if we would like, please call. ford has offered to take parts back to mi. to look at.-----please add vin.#. *ak | |||
| 04/26/1996 | 3 | ||
| Chief of police called to inform of recall notice received concerning ford crown victoria lower ball joint failure. *ak door handles were replaced. rear brake pads and rotors replaced at 18290, front pads and rotors were replaced at 28679 miles, front and rear brake pads replaced at 51031 miles. intake manifold replaced twice. heater hose replaced. passenger side tail light replaced. tire rotations are done every 3000 miles, however tires had to be replaced at approximately 9600 miles and at 600000 miles, no specific tire information given. cooling fant and motor replaced. tpc, pvc, and fuel regulator replaced. *slc | |||
| 06/29/1998 | 1 | ||
| Lower ball joint failure causing loss of steering control. | |||
| 12/04/1997 | 1 | ||
| Lower control arm ball joint failed. | |||
| 05/21/1998 | 1 | ||
| Lower control arm ball joint failed causing damage to vehicle. | |||
| 06/23/1998 | 1 | ||
| Lower control arm ball joint came apart causing loss of control and damage. | |||
| 08/28/1998 | |||
| Lower control arm and ball joint bushings have failed. the dealer will be notified. *ak | |||
| 07/07/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| Lower ball joints failed. | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Lower control arm/ball joints failed, causing front end to feel loose. (qcaw) | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Lower control arm/ball joints failed causing vehicle to feel loose in the front end. (qcaw) | |||
| 05/19/1998 | |||
| Chief of police is responding to police internet recall concerning vehicle recall for front control arm/ lower ball joint . *ak | |||
| 05/21/1998 | |||
| The defective lower ball joints broke off, causing loss of vehicle control. also, a second vehicle, a new vehilce 1996 ford crown victoria vin# 2falp71w5vx137664,had a similar problem which occurred june 23, 1998 with 60 miles, with lower ball joints broke, causing loss of vehicle control. *ak | |||
| 04/22/1997 | 1 | 11/20/1995 | |
| Inadequate lubrication caused the right lower ball joint to separate, resulting in an accident. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM | |||
| 03/03/1999 | |||
| Front passenger's side control arm broke. owner has had vehicle repaired at his own expense. a recall was issued on the vehicle make and model, however, this vehicle was not included. manufacturer has been notified. *ak | |||