On August 29, Ford issued a recall that affected approximately 355,000 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car models from 2005 to 2011. Included in this recall number, are over 190,000 Crown Victoria police cars. The reason for the recall is that these vehicles could lose steering capabilities due to corrosion of the lower intermediate steering shaft. Because of the corrosion, the steering column lower bearing may separate. If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Click here to read the full New York Times article: Ford Recalls 370,000 Sedans
Attention “Salt Belt States”
According to the defect notice, the cars being recalled will be from the “salt belt” states and the District of Columbia. These states include Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The cars in this recall are either currently registered or were originally sold in these areas and may have been resold into the non “salt belt” areas. According to the recall acknowledgment, customers located in ‘non salt belt states’ that have concerns regarding their steering, will have a one-time option to have their vehicles inspected. Owners of these vehicles should contact Ford directly about these vehicles. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall is expected to begin October 21, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332. Ford’s recall number is 13S08.
Americans rely on their car manufactures to provide a safe well-designed vehicle. Sadly, that is not often the case. The Auto Defect Attorneys at The Brandi Law Firm has successfully represented many people injured from defective Toyotas, Fords, Chrysler, Nissan, GM products and numerous other manufacturers and suppliers. Often times, people involved in accidents do not examine the issues of defective vehicle design nor whether the car was truly crashworthy – does it contain the appropriate crash protection. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto crash, our attorneys at The Brandi Law Firm are available to consult with you. Please contact our office at 800-481-1615 or email us.