Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 16427 | 11/01/2002 | 10008352 | Low speed or stationary noise/vibration at lower steering shaft area when turning. *mj | 07/28/2004 | |
| 15408 | 11/01/2001 | 630423 | Some vehicles equipped with dual automatic temperature control (datc) may exhibit inoperative redundant steering wheel controls (rswc). *tt | 04/17/2002 | |
| 15580 | 01/01/2002 | 630128 | Some 4 door vehicles may exhibit a steering column rattle at speeds of 10-20 mph on uneven surfaces. *tt | 04/15/2002 | |
| 15017 | 06/01/2001 | 622833 | Stiff steering or poor steering wheel returnability. *tt | 10/23/2001 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 15899 | 05/01/2002 | 637783 | Subject regarding theft light relocation. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 15906 | 05/01/2002 | 637796 | Information on power steering leak condition. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 15647 | 02/01/2002 | 630700 | Some vehicles equipped with a v6 engine may exhibit a steering rattle noise which may be heard and felt in the steering wheel and column. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| 15091 | 07/01/2001 | 621099 | Some vehicles may exhibit a scrunch noise from the upper steering column when making near full lock turns. *tt | 09/07/2001 | |
| 14947 | 05/01/2001 | 620238 | Some vehicles may exhibit a steering wheel shudder during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt | 07/23/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 05/20/2012 | 109000 | ||
| I went to go pick up my son from school, when i went to put it on drive the shifting handle broke off. i didnt even do it hard. i had to get my car towed to my house and had to pay to get it fixed. i looked it up and theres alot more people that have complaints about this and that it should go to recall its just not safe, what if were driving and changing gears on the road and someone gets hurt even death. | |||
| 09/06/2011 | |||
| I just finished getting gas. i turned on the ignition and put the car in reverse and the gear shift snapped off in my hand. it is just dangling. i had to put the emergency brake on and turn the car off immediately so that it would roll back and crash into someone else car or just a pedestrian. i paid to have the car towed to my home for $59. upon going home, i called several ford dealerships who clearly were familiar with the problem because i was given a quote for the part and labor immediately after i told them about the issue. i took it one step further and went online to check for recalls. there weren't any recalls however, i have read several forums online and this seems to be an ongoing issue with the 2002 mercury mountaineers and 2002 ford explorers. this is ridiculous and i am outraged and i feel ford needs to take ownership regarding this issue. | |||
| 09/06/2010 | |||
| My husband has a 2002 mercury mountaineer & we were dropping his niece off at home, pulled into the driveway, put the car in park & she got out. when he tried to put the car into reverse, we heard a snap, & the gear shifter was hanging down. he pulled the rubber covering off & found that a metal piece right inside the gears shift assembly completely broke off. we had no way of putting the car in gear so we had to call a tow truck to tow us home & the car has been sitting for the past 3 days. we have had to rent a car while we are trying to get it repaired & just found out today that ford wants us to buy a whole new steering column assembly for $1,300! so on top of the rental car fee we are paying, we need to find another $1,300 to fix his car. i have been looking online to see if anyone else has had the same problem, & the forums i've come across have all had the exact same problem, & the pictures are exactly what happened to our car also! i think this is a defect for the ford/mercury vehicles that need to be inspected. seems the metal used in that particular part is either too weak or maybe has been compromised in some way. i don't know! | |||
| 06/02/2010 | 132000 | ||
| I had driven my 2002 mountaineer to work, i gently pulled back on the gear shift, to put it into park, and it broke off in my hand. i had to leave it in drive and also had to leave my keys in the car. i didn't really worry about it being stolen because it won't go anywhere. i feel that ford should have put a recall on this model of mountaineer, do to so many problems. transmissions, auto windows, gear shifts, wheel welds, and now a fire may start in the car even if it's not running. really, i guess we will have to wait till one of them blows up, killing someone, before ford will listen. | |||
| 05/20/2010 | 170000 | ||
| Gear shift lever broke out of steering column. totally broken metal piece. | |||
| 02/18/2010 | |||
| Gear stuck in park. upon release gear shift broke from steering column. $2000 in repair/damage. unable to find used part as it is sells quickly due to this being a common problem. | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 90000 | 1 | |
| 2002 mercury mountaineer - gear shift mechanism failed when trying to shift out of park. vehicle repaired by billy-howel ford lincoln mercury, cumming, georgia. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2008 | 99000 | 1 | |
| I went to shift my car into reverse and the stick shift located next to steering wheel came off in my hand, went to dealer and the part was $800.00 for the whole steering column, the part that broke was a small piece holding the stick, but dealer said it had to replace all of it. since i could not afford that amount i searched for a used part and everyone said it was very common on these cars and i finally found one for $200.00 but have not had it installed due to costs. and to add to my problems i was driving on the freeway and the od light starts to flicker and after numerous calls and researching the problem was told that it is the transmission and would probably need to repair/replace and that it is a common problem with these cars. *tr | |||
| Consumer called complaining about been in colision and losing total control of the vehicle before impact. dealer was not contacted at this time. ts | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | 06/15/2001 | |
| Three sets of goodyear, eagle ls tires, size p24570r16 (no dot # mentioned) with less than one hundred miles had to be replaced because knots were found on sidewall and tread. dealer has been contacted. *ak engine light illuminated due to faulty dpfe sensor; air bag light on, air bag module replaced; loose rear center console; vibration and popping noise over bumps, replaced and balanced all four tires, replaced stabilizer bar links, rims were out of round; scrunching noise while turning, rack and pinion replaced; experiencing whistling noise; hard jerk and popping noise when shifting, gear selector slippage; a/c vent squeaking, a/c vent readjusted. *tt | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 12/28/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| Shifting gears from reverse to drive when gear shifter broke off in my hand leaving car stuck in reverse with no way of changing gears. had to have complete steering column replaced because column is not designed to let you replace the broken part only. had to search for the part in junk yards and all the columns that could be found in junkyards had the same trouble broken off shifter. had to order a new steering column and i do have the old column and receipts. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2001 | 883 | 30 | |
| Problems with vehicle's transmission at various speeds. *mr the engine remained slipping, jumping, and making noises, the rear window did not hold and fell on the consumers head, the steering column locks, the fuel engine read empty and the light was on, the interior coat hooks had come out of the walls, and the transmission was jumping, clunking, and slipping. *sc dup of 10022342_pco | |||
| 11/20/2001 | 883 | 30 | 10/30/2001 |
| The vehicle transmission slipped, jumped and made clunking noises. the steering column locked up. the rear hatch fell onto the consumers head which resulted in retinal detachment and balance trouble. *mr *ph *ak *nlm pe04045.pco | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 03/25/2007 | 2 | 09/01/2004 | |
| The front end gear box has gone bad and now needs to be replaced. it makes a loud noise and sounds like the tires are ready to pop off. i just replaced the rear end last november 2006 ,and now having this problem with the vehicle again.*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 46851 | 3 | 02/12/2005 |
| 2002 mountaineer stalls, transmission control assembly, main control valve, and gasket had to be replaced. *ts the lift gate was sticking, and while closing it, the glass shattered, the glass was recalled, and was suppose to have been fixed. the oil light illuminated. the trim on the front door fell off while driving. there was a grinding noise coming from the rear wheels, it was determined that there was severe rust on the brake componets, the park brake shoes fell apart due to corrosion, the rear wheel bearing and knuckle assembly had excessive rust. *jb | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/08/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2001 | |
| My son was making a turn in boulder when the car slid into the curbing. this was on a icy road and the car was traveling at less than 5 mph. after stricking the curbing, the car would not track so he took it to the dealer for evaluation. it was identified that the rear tie rod end had broken off and that a new assembly must be installed. my son called me and i requested the part be sent to my attention. i am an automotive engineer and i know that this is not an normal failure mode for this part. i also need to point out that there were no marks on the tire and that the wheel was not damaged in the event. upon receipt of the failed part it became very apparent that a manufacturing problem exists. the tie rod is threaded on the rod and then swedged to hold it in place. in order to swedge the part the wall thickness has been reduced to less that 1/8 and in the swedging process, the material is streched over the shoulder between the solid mass of the tie rod and the drilled out (reduced wall thickness)section of the tie rod that is then threaded and swedged in-place. the part also has rust present on the inside of the break which is an indication that a crack was present that was most likely created by the high mechanical stresses in the swedging process. i am concerned that this problem is present on all the new 2002 ford explorers/mountaineers. this is a new suspension system for 2002. a large bump in the road at any speed above 30 mph could be catastrophic! i have not made contact with ford and still have the part in my possession. please advise what the next steps should be.*ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| Consumer called complaining about having a problem with a strong vibration on the whole vehicle and also on the steering wheel.dealer was contacted and they first stated that there were the tires then also the shocks on the back were cahnged and the vehicle still has the same problem. ph | |||