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 | |||||
| 98111 | 01/19/1998 | 605572 | Vehicles may exhibit harsh ride quality or excessive road feel through the steering wheel while going over sharp bumps. *tt | 07/12/1999 | |
| 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 - FRONT | |||||
| 8060 | 02/01/2000 | 612274 | Some vehicles may exhibit a slight steering drift / wander condition, usually noted during highway driving. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
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 | |||
| 08/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| When driving 45 mph and without warning vehicle would start to shimmy distracting the driver. dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 12/26/1998 | 2 | ||
| When driving at high speed vehicle vibrates, and moves from side to side. consumer brought vehicle to repair shop twice for service, but dealer can't determine the problem. *ak | |||
| 05/06/1997 | |||
| When driving the vehicle veers to the left, and when turning corners the car fishtails. dealer says that is how the vehicle is suppose to be. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1997 | 7 | ||
| Suspension vibrates when hitting bumps or ruts on the freeway causing the steering to shimmy forcing the vehicle to move from left to right uncontrolably. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 10/11/2010 | 98015 | ||
| I own a 1997 crown victory , with 98015 miles, and and within 6 mo. of each event i have had 3 lower ball joints to falling out. please tell me if ford doing anything to keep people driving 1997 ford crown victory safe? this is very dangerous for the person that is driving and the on coming person, which could be ford motor company ceo, or worst his wife, or my wife !!!!!!!! | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 24232 | 1 | 09/11/2003 |
| Front suspension was totally trashed, it was tough driving it home from the dealer. car was all over the road. *la | |||
| 1 | 03/16/2003 | ||
| While driving ball joint failed causing right front wheel to collapse and fall off. *tt *nlm | |||
| 09/15/2002 | |||
| Front suspension system bracket (shock absober) collapsed. please provide further information. *mr | |||
| 08/12/2001 | |||
| While driving left front assembly broke off.also, entire frame assembly collapsed. vehicle came to a halt, and there was no braking.*ak | |||
| 04/25/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| This vehicle swerves side to side when i go over a pot hole or bump, causing vehicle's steering wheel to move as well. outcome is loss of steering and vehicle control.*ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 10/02/2000 | 2 | 01/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| The front end suspension out of alignment caused wear of tires. *yc | |||
| 03/04/1999 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| This appears to ba a failure of the front suspension ball joint which i just had repaired under recall at springfield ford, rincon, ga. according to banner ford in decatur, ga where the current repair is underway, the retaining nut was not installed properly. it came lose and the rod punctured the right front tire. i own a second crown victoria lx, vin 2falp74w5vx106670. i have written ford concerning the need to have a similar repair made on this car, but they have not responded in the past month. i would like to bring these two problems to your attention, and ask for any advice or direction you may have to offer. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 07/04/2009 | 85000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. while driving 25 mph, the driver's side control arm separated from the ball joint. as a result, the vehicle was scraping the ground. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer stated that no compensation would be provided because the vehicle was not included in the current recall regarding the failure. the failure and current mileages were 85,000. | |||
| 05/30/2004 | 103000 | 1 | 11/18/1997 |
| The passenger side control arm on front wheel of 1997 ford crown victoria has rusted to the point of the vehicle being un-drivable and a danger. ford has said this issue is due to the air conditioner moisture tube that dumps on the iron frame. they had at one time offered to repair some defects but will not any more. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| 09/21/2007 | 143995 | 1 | 09/13/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 crown victoria. during an oil change, the mechanic stated that the bracket that attaches to the front lower control arm was broken. the contact also spoke with the dealer about nhtsa#98v322000 since the bracket is attached. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vehicle does not have anti lock brakes. the failure mileage was 143,995 and the current mileage was 144,000. updated 3/7/08 *cn the local dealer stated poor factory weld led to stress which facilitated the failure. | |||
| 04/04/2002 | 1 | ||
| While braking vehicle pulled to the right, mechanic determined lower control arm bracket weld had broken on right side. *ak *yd | |||
| 10/26/2001 | |||
| Recall 98 v 322 000/lower control arm: lost control while driving at 35 mph. vehicle taken to a independent repair shop, and informed consumer of a lower ball joint failure. manufacturer was notified and advised consumer that this vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 08/30/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving could heard noise coming from front like grinding, and steering wheel could not align with vehicle. also, will make a clicking noise on the right side. consumer noticed that vehicle was on the ground, and technician said that there was a problem with the lower control arm ball joint. like recall 98 v 322 000 lower control arm. *ak | |||
| 06/07/1999 | 0 | 01/01/1997 | |
| The lower control arm bracket does not appear to be adequately welded to the frame(i.e. there is no weld at the lower bracket contact point). this has resulted in the bracket cracking at the upper weld point. this will lead to separation of the lower control arm bracket from the frame. due to the nature of the high speed use of a police vehicle this could lead to an accident and loss of life, if separation should occur during high speed pursuit maneuvers. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 01/10/2010 | 50017 | 1 | 06/22/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph the front end of the vehicle collapsed. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the mechanic replaced the lower and upper ball joints on the passenger side of the vehicle. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the dangers of the lower and upper ball joints. the manufacturer informed the contact that since there isn't a recall there was nothing they could do. the vin was not available. the failure could have caused a crash to occur. the failure mileage was 50,017. updated 04/01/10. *lj the lower suspension support stuck the pavement and the wheel became detached from the steering mechanism, which made the vehicle uncontrollable. updated 06/07/10*jb | |||
| 07/15/2005 | 75000 | 1 | 09/30/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 30 mph, the right front lower ball joint fractured and the control arm dropped to the ground. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and towed to the local dealership for repair. | |||
| 11/11/2005 | 76000 | 1 | |
| Dt: the contact states there is nhtsa recall campaign 98v322000 concerning the lower ball joint. this vehicle is experiencing the same problems as indicated in the recall, but is not included in the recall due to vin. the contact repaired the vehicle at his own expense.*ak updated 12/27/2005 - the passenger side lower ball joint failed. *nm | |||
| 08/22/2004 | 86000 | 1 | |
| I own a 1997 ford crown victoria. i was pulling out of a parking spot in a mini mall when the front right tire fell off my vehicle. it turns out that the ball joint had snapped. had this happened 10 minutes earlier, i would have been seriously hurt as i was driving on the new jersey turnpike doing 65 mph. it has come to my attention that this has happened on other ford products as well and as such i think that your agency is responsible. in addition, a previous letter to this defect was submitted, but i have not had any reply. *jb | |||
| 12/09/2004 | 2 | ||
| The consumer was backing out of the garage and without warning the front end collapsed to the ground. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that both driver and passenger side lower ball joints needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb | |||
| 07/08/2004 | 100000 | 2 | |
| While driving 15 mph lower ball joints separated from the vehicle. as a result, the steering failed, and the front end collapsed. *ak | |||
| 04/08/2004 | 172000 | 1 | |
| While backing out of the driveway, the front driver side lower ball joint snapped. the consumer had the vehicle towed. *jb | |||
| 12/02/2003 | 34000 | 1 | 06/17/2003 |
| While driving there was a severe vibration in the front end. consumer found on nhtsa web site recall 98v322000 which applied to the problem on this vehicle. *ak the consumer was concerned with the following recalls: 981001000, 00v157001, 03v472000 00v152002, 98v322000, 97v024000 and tsb's 01m02, 99m01, and 97m91. *sc *jb | |||
| 09/09/2002 | 89000 | 2 | 10/10/1998 |
| Subject:ford crown vic lower ball joint comments: i have a 1997 ford crown vic manufactured in ontario. the lower right ball joint came apart in the fall of 2002 and was replaced. it is now 14 months later and it was replaced again. on your site i found that there was a recall for that issue. i have never received any information about it and have had to pay the full cost of repairs each time. what is my recourse? *la | |||
| 08/25/2003 | 74500 | 1 | 09/24/2001 |
| While traveling 55 mph, the frame control arm bracket pulled away from the vehicle and caused a collision. *ak (pulled a big chunk out of the frame) the consumer requested that ford cover the expenses for the repair. recall# 98v322000. *scc *jb | |||
| 10/17/2002 | 54988 | 1 | 03/16/2002 |
| While backing up the right lower ball joint snap causing the front end to collapse. the dealer has neen notified. *ts *nlm | |||
| 07/16/2002 | |||
| While driving lower ball joints broke ,and consumer could no longer control vehicle. contacted dealer ,and the dealer was taking a look at vehicle.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states that when making a turn the ball joints and the bushing squeak. the dealer has been contacted. nlm there is a recall, 98v322, regarding this problem, however consumers vehicle is not included. *slc | |||
| 12/02/2001 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| The incident consisted of a sudden lower ball joint failure, resulting in the vehicle skidding to a stop on the a frame. damage estimate is based on the cost of new ball joints, tie rod, fender, and tire replacement costs | |||
| 07/10/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| While driving 5 mph vehicle dropped on right side. towed to dealer, and lower ball joint was replaced. *ak *jb | |||
| 04/14/2000 | |||
| 98v322 000/lower control arm : both sides lower control arm/ball joints failed at 42,000 miles. dealer notified, and repairs/replacement was done at consumer's cost. *ak | |||
| 06/23/1998 | 2 | 02/10/1997 | |
| Ball joint failure. | |||
| 01/28/1999 | |||
| Recall 98v322000, the other vehicle vin# 2fafp71w4wx1240155, both of these vehicle which are police packaged. the dealer does not have the parts yet, and the police station needs the vehicle to be repaired as soon as possible. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 08/12/1998 | |||
| Sedona police department having problems with the lower passenger side control arm came off the vehicle when travling at 10 mph, puncturing the front tire, resulting in the tire blowing off the vehicle. consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer replaced parts. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 01/10/2010 | 50017 | 1 | 06/22/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph the front end of the vehicle collapsed. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the mechanic replaced the lower and upper ball joints on the passenger side of the vehicle. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the dangers of the lower and upper ball joints. the manufacturer informed the contact that since there isn't a recall there was nothing they could do. the vin was not available. the failure could have caused a crash to occur. the failure mileage was 50,017. updated 04/01/10. *lj the lower suspension support stuck the pavement and the wheel became detached from the steering mechanism, which made the vehicle uncontrollable. updated 06/07/10*jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||
| 11/17/1997 | |||
| The spring on the right hand side of the vehicle keeps popping out of the holding mechanism and is hitting the frame of the vehicle, causing an excessive grinding noise. took vehicle to the dealer and has repaired. the vehicle has been repaired twice for this problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 05/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| Rear suspension control arm brackets have cracked where they were welded to frame, causing loss of vehicle control. vehicle was towed. *ak consumer also states welds also cracking where rear cross member is welded to frame.*jb | |||
| 11/15/1997 | 100 | 11/01/1997 | |
| All items listed are design flaws and could cause serious if not fatal injuries to occur..turn signals will not stay on if they will hold on at all. twice repaired..steering wheel and column jump and vibrate on bump impact at mid to highway speeds.car swerves. have not yet lost control!! rear shocks cannot stabilise rear end..windshield has ripple distortion. has caused vision problems. both front doors will not stay open..both my wife and i have been injured by these doors..service dept claims doors are within tolerences..not mine!! hope ypu can assist me. thanks,,paul silberman. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - AXLE - SPINDLE | |||
| Right rear wheel and part of the axle came off the vehicle. | |||