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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V457000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 03/24/2003 to 10/27/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 23996 | 11/10/2003 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/06/2003 | 11/19/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain minivans, the power steering low-pressure line may not be fully seated at the rack and pinion steering gear. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this line becomes disconnected, it may create the potential for fluid to come into contact with the exhaust system, which could result in smoke or fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect the power steering low-pressure line to ensure that it is seated properly at the rack and pinion steering gear. owner notification began november 10, 2003. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Ford recall no. 03s09.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 06218 | 10020701 | Advanced traction control system - duration activation. *kb | 12/28/2006 | ||
| 18520 | 03/01/2005 | 10014704 | Steering wheel. *eh | 05/05/2005 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||||
| 0712 | 10021217 | Power steering hose leak near cooler extreme cold climate areas only -4 degrees and cooler. *kb | 03/23/2007 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 07/08/2012 | 69075 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact that while driving 60 mph, the power steering failed. the contact stated there was no warning prior to the failure. the steering wheel started squealing whenever the contact tried to make a turn. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the vin was not accepted. the failure and current mileages were 69,075. | |||
| 07/08/2012 | 69075 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact that while driving 60 mph, the power steering failed. the contact stated there was no warning prior to the failure. the steering wheel started squealing whenever the contact tried to make a turn. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the vin was not accepted. the failure and current mileages were 69,075. kmj | |||
| 10/20/2011 | 123000 | ||
| Driving and the car shut down: no power steering, no power brakes, nothing worked. there were no warning lights or other indication of failure. was able to steer to the side of the road and stop vehicle using emergency brakes. | |||
| 08/26/2010 | 200000 | ||
| Power steering hose leaking and causing smoke and loss of truning power. power steering fluid leaks out of the low pressure line and on to the exhaust manafol. corrected in feburary 2011 by replacing the rack and pinion, power steering pump and low pressure hose to the coolier. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 64000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 ford freestar. the power steering line has cracked so badly that it needs to be filled daily or i lose power steering (which is very dangerous now in the winter weather. it will take 6 weeks to get the new part in, i understand that the economy has caused a problem in getting the part manufactured, but i was told by a ford parts tech that it is also because of back orders. why are so many of these parts needed. the mechanic that is going to do my repair says that this should not have happened to the part, that it is defective. i put 2 and 2 together, my part is defective, there is a back order for this part, seems like alot of people have a defective part. this could be very dangerous if power steering is suddenly lost. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Leaking power steering fluid hose creates fire hazard. *tr | |||
| 03/29/2009 | 23500 | 1 | |
| Purchased a ford freestar in 2004. last july ,i noticed puddles of oil in my driveway and a kick in the wheel when turning. proceeded to my mechanic,on an emergency basis,and found out that it had to be fixed immediately. it turned out to be the rack and pinion. i checked the recall list with nhtsa and found that ford recalled approximately 34,000 cars with the problem. the report indicated that the linking fluid good cause smoke. my vin number did not match the recall list. just recently(march,2009),i started hearing screeching sounds coming from the car. it would subside when going around curbs etc..turning the wheel slightly -would eliminate the sound. again,i checked recalls and found recalls for hub problems. if not fixed the wheel attached to the axle would caused steering difficulty and a possible crash. checked recall vin number and it did not match. contacted ford problem bureau and registered a complaint. i have presently 23,500 miles. i have registered a complaint with the federal trade commission. i believe that there are other 2004 ford freestars with the same problem. the car cannot be driven for fear of an immediate mechanical break down. ford should step forward and correct the situation for those owners who have spent money to repair the problems. i cannot sell the vehicle. how can i imposition others!i 'm glad there wasn't a negative occurrence where injuries existed. as a senior citizen,cost of continuous repairs and the safety issue prevails. *tr | |||
| 01/27/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving between 35-40 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a noise coming from the steering column. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and they stated that power steering fluid was leaking. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a second opinion and they indicated that the power steering low-pressure line contributed to the power steering fluid leak. the dealer discovered nhtsa campaign id number 03v457000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections); however, the recall remedy was not performed due to the unavailability of the part required for the repair. there is a massive national back order on the part and the contact was placed on a waiting list. the technician recommended that the vehicle not be driven due to the safety risk involved. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 04/15/2007 | 94000 | 2 | 04/04/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. there is a restriction that prevents the steering wheel from turning left or right properly. on august 31, 2007, the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that nothing was wrong with the steering wheel; however, the wheel has become even harder to turn. the contact has not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. the current mileage was 102,000 and failure mileage was 94,000. | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | 06/01/2004 | |
| This is a general compliant about my 2004 ford freestar. the problems started almost immediately after driving the car away from the dealer. 1. i was at a stop light and the rubber cover fell off of the brake pedal. 2. the next thing was the keyless remote worked about 50% of the time to open the passenger doors. 3. then after about the first 500 miles of driving, the steering wheel oscillated in my hands when coming to a stop. 4. also when driving there were several annoying sounds. 5 finally, and this is the most annoying of all, i can't run the heater in the cold weather because excessive hot air comes from the defrost vents even though i have the control set to 'floor vents' only. now what has the ford dealers done about the problems? 1. i replaced the rubber cover on the brake pedal. 2. the dealers refuse to fix the keyless remote problem. they claim it is working fine even though i took it to independent alarm tech who told me the 'unlock all' receiver needs to be replaced. 3. the oscillation of the steering wheel while stopping was ' fixed' by one dealer by grinding down a warped brake rotor. this repair, which i objected to ford not replacing the rotor with a new rotor, only lasted a few thousand miles and the problem recurred. i took it to another dealer who replaced the bad rotor. 4. one of the annoying sounds was fixed by one dealer but not all of the sounds. i took it to another dealer and all were fixed. 5. the dealers refuse to fix the problem of excessive hot air coming from the defrost vent. i have to duct tape over the defrost vent to be able run the heater. then i have to pull the duct tape away if the windshield fogs over inside the car. in general i think the quality of this car is the worst that i have ever owned and i have owned several new cars in my almost 70 years of age. *jb | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 10/17/2006 | 44000 | 1 | 11/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated a leak was noticed under the vehicle and power steering fluid was added often. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the power steering pressure line fractured. there was a nhtsa recall, # 03v457000, regarding the power steering: hose, piping and connections. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 05/24/2004 | 7500 | 1 | |
| While driving 30 mph, the power steering failed without warning. please provide additional information. *jb | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/02/2012 | 2 | ||
| Appropriate handling- letter re 11s25- nhtsa recall 12v006000 reimbursement for her 2004 ford freestar. *kb the torque converter was replaced twice. also, the inner and outer tie rod ends were worn and loose, and the cv axle was loose. *jb | |||
| 06/26/2004 | 7100 | 1 | 03/26/2004 |
| Vehicle felt like there was a flat tire on the passenger side. slowed down, heard a loud bang and pulled off the road with a skidding stop. upon inspection, found that the a-fram had dropped out of the collar of the tie rod. *ak | |||