2004 Ford Cvpi

FRACTURE (CRACKING) OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE (SV) WHEEL, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED UNDER PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE03-009 (SAFETY RECALL 03V-279), OCCURS IN THE MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 TO 2005 POLICE INTERCEPTOR VEHICLES ONLY; CIVILIAN SPECIFICATION AND OTHER MY VEHICLES ARE UNAFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.FOR THE AFFECTED SUBJECT WHEELS, A FATIGUE CRACK OCCURS IN THE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE OF THE RIM MATERIAL ADJACENT TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD THAT ATTACHES THE RIM TO THE OUTBOARD WHEEL DISC.THE CRACK INITIATES UNDER THE OUTBOARD TIRE BEAD NEAR THE HEEL (WHERE AIR LEAKAGE CANNOT BE ASSURED) AND SUBSEQUENTLY GROWS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THROUGH CYCLIC BENDING AS THE WHEELS ROLLS.ALTHOUGH THE VAST MAJORITY OF RIM CRACKS EITHER PRESENTED NO SYMPTOMS OR WERE DETECTED SAFELY VIA RECURRING SLOW AIR LEAKAGE, ODI IDENTIFIED 6 INCIDENTS WHERE RAPID AIR LEAKAGE LEADING TO A FULL OR PARTIAL DEFLATION OF THE TIRE WAS ALLEGED.FOR THESE WHEELS, EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT MULTIPLE CRACKS HAD FORMED IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE RIM AND SUBSEQUENTLY GROWN TOGETHER.TWO OF THE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN A CRASH, ONE DURING A HIGH SPEED PURSUIT.ALTHOUGH THE MINORITY OF CASES, FORD?S ASSESSMENTS OF FIELD RETURN WHEELS SHOWED THAT MULTIPLE CRACKS EXIST IN APPROXIMATELY 17 PERCENT OF THE CRACKED WHEELS REPLACED UNDER A FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM.IN A WHEEL WITH MULTIPLE CRACKS, AS THE AREA BETWEEN THE CRACKS IS REDUCED BY GROWTH A HIGH STRESS CONDITION (SUCH AS WOULD OCCUR IN AN AGGRESSIVE VEHICLE MANEUVER DURING A HIGH-SPEED PURSUIT) MAY CAUSE THE CRACKS TO JOIN TOGETHER RAPIDLY.IF THE CRACKS ARE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE RIM MAY BE COMPROMISED RESULTING IN RAPID AIR LOSS AND RIM DEFORMATION.FOR POLICE VEHICLES USED AT HIGH SPEED, RAPID DEFLATION AND LOSS OF RIM STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AFFECTS VEHICLE CONTROL AND MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.FATIGUE IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FRACTURE MECHANISM; THEREFORE, WHEEL FRACTURE CAN BE EXPECTED TO OCCUR (AND AT AN INCREASED INCIDENCE LEVEL) AS LONG AS THE AFFECTED WHEELS REMAIN IN SERVICE.IN DECEMBER 2004 (WITHIN MY 2005 SV PRODUCTION) FORD INTRODUCED A SHOT PEEN PROCESS INTO THE MANUFACTURE OF SV WHEELS.SHOT PEEN WHEELS, WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED BY UNIQUE PART NUMBER STAMPINGS, HAVE NOT EXHIBITED FRACTURE IN POLICE SERVICE TO DATE.UNDER 07V-079, FORD WILL INSPECT SVS REGISTERED FOR POLICE USE AND REPLACE EARLIER DESIGN LEVEL WHEELS WITH SHOT PEEN WHEELS.POLICE AGENCIES SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT MY 2005 VEHICLES BUILT AFTER DECEMBER 2004 ARE NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS RECALL (SINCE THEY WERE ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED WITH SHOT PEEN WHEELS).AGENCIES SHOULD BE DILIGENT IN ENSURING THAT NON-SHOT PEEN WHEELS ARE REMOVED FROM OUT-OF-SCOPE VEHICLES OR OTHER WHEEL SUPPLY INVENTORIES.

DURING A SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 MEETING AND IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS IN NOVEMBER, FORD ADVISED THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OF THEIR PLANS TO INTRODUCE AN IMPROVED STEEL WHEEL FOR MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE COMPONENT USE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, INDICATING THIS WOULD OCCUR IN DECEMBER 2004.THE NEW WHEEL DESIGN INCORPORATES AN ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURING PROCESS (SHOT PEENING) WHICH LOWERS TENSILE STRESS IN THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE RIM MATERIAL ADJACENT TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD. THEORETICALLY THIS SHOULD IMPROVE RIM DURABILITY BY REDUCING FATIGUE CRACK INITIATION SITES.INDICATIONS FROM FORD?S ACCELERATED TESTING METHODS SHOW AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NEW WHEEL.IN ADDITION TO PRIOR SAFETY RECALL 03V279 AND SERVICE ACTION (SA) 03M03, FORD WILL ANNOUNCE A NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY SA FOR VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2004 THAT SUFFER RIM FRACTURES IN SERVICE.THE NEW WHEEL DESIGN WILL BE USED AS A REMEDY.FORD ADVISES THAT A SA IS SUFFICIENT FOR ADDRESSING FUTURE WHEEL FAILURES (INCLUDING RECALL 03V279 REMEDY WHEEL FAILURES) BECAUSE: 1) FAILURE RATES ARE LOW BASED ON FORD?S ANALYSIS, AND 2) DRIVER WARNINGS (REPETITIVE SLOW AIR LOSS, AND OR STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION) ALLOW EARLY AND SAFE DETECTION OF CRACKED WHEELS.ODI HAS RECEIVED 25 VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE (VOQ) REPORTS (INVOLVING 22 VEHICLES) WHICH ALLEGE A RIM FRACTURE OF ONE OR MORE STEEL WHEELS.ABOUT HALF THE REPORTS INVOLVE VEHICLES BUILT WITH THE REMEDY WHEEL USED FOR RECALL 03V279, AND MOST OF THE REMAINING VEHICLES WERE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL.THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING PERTINENT FORD COMPLAINTS IS MADE DIFFICULT BY FORD?S PRIOR RECALL AND WARRANTY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.THE MANUFACTURER COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY COUNTS, WHICH PRIMARILY INVOLVE FAILURES OF RECALL 03V279 REMEDY WHEELS, ARE BASED ON ANALYSIS CONDUCTED TO DATE AND ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CONSERVATIVE.FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED, THUS ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA).DURING THE EA, PERTINENT FAILURE REPORTS AND CONSEQUENCES WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND REVIEWED.ODI AND FORD WILL DISCUSS DETAILS FOR CONDUCTING AN AUDIT ANALYSIS OF FAILED WHEELS REPLACED UNDER THE NEW SA.ADDITIONALLY, ODI IS AWAITING FORD?S LAB ANALYSIS OF TWO WHEELS WHICH WERE THE SUBJECT OF VOQ REPORTS, ONE OF WHICH WAS INVOLVED IN THE NOTED CRASH EVENT.A DETERMINATION WILL BE MADE AS TO WHETHER FORD?S SERVICE ACTION IS SUFFICIENT FOR ADDRESSING ONGOING RIM FRACTURES.

THE HEADLAMPS ON THIS VEHICLE SHUT OFF AFTER LIGHTS HAVE BEEN TURNED ON FOR ABOUT 25 SECONDS AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON, OCCASIONALLY THEY WILL STAY ON AND THEN WILL SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL SHOPS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE LCM MODULE IS FAULTY AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE, AND THE FACT THAT FORD DOES NOT WANT TO ADDRESS THIS SHOWS THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FORD DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD.

NHTSA ID

10444385

Incident

Aug 15, 2010

Mileage

113,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF WHEN IN USE, INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS EVEN THOUGH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THIS PROBLEM DEVELOPED AT ABOUT 106,000 MILES. IT WAS TEMPORARILY CORRECTED BY HAVING THE RELAYS IN THE FORD LCM (LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE) REPLACED WITH A NEW HEADLIGHT RELAY, NEC PART NUMBER "NEC EQ1-11111S". *TR

NHTSA ID

10366546

Incident

Mar 3, 2010

Mileage

133,000 mi

LINGERING PROBLEM WITH 2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR WHEELS WITH SUSPECTED CRACKS. MEETS ALL SYMPTOMOLOGY. FORD REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10303276

Incident

May 1, 2009

Mileage

68,500 mi

I OWN A 2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. IT HAS THE WELL KNOWN LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND REPLACE THESE MODULES UNDER A RECALL. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. BUT OF COURSE, JUST LIKE FORD DOESN'T THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR GAS TANK DESIGN (EXPLODING CROWN VICS), THEY PROBABLY WILL NOT FIX THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE EITHER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10302430

Incident

Jan 23, 2010

Mileage

120,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD CVPI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEELS CRACKED IN THE RIM NEAR THE WELD LINE, WHICH CONNECTS THE RIM TO THE DISK. HE HAD TO PLACE AIR IN HIS TIRES WEEKLY BECAUSE THE FAILURE CAUSED THE TIRES TO DEFLATE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER REGISTERED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V079000 (WHEELS) AND FORD RECALL NUMBER 07S48 WERE REFERENCED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

NHTSA ID

10270222

Incident

Mar 27, 2009

Mileage

67,000 mi

PURCHASED 2004 CVPI DIRECTLY FROM LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. TOOK CAR OUT THAT NIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. ALL OTHER LIGHTS REMAIN ON INCLUDING ALL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS EXCLUDING HEADLAMPS. I MANUALLY TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON AND THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS STILL LIGHT ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO RETURN HOME, AND UPON USING MY TURNING SIGNAL, THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON UNEXPLAINABLE. ALL INDICATORS LEAD TO THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE THAT IS CAUSING THE DEFECT. CONDITIONS ARE TOO HAZARDOUS WITH THIS DEFECT AND CREATES A HIGH PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FATALITIES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10266757

Incident

Apr 23, 2009

Mileage

91,925 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD CVPI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, WHICH STATED THAT THE RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON HIS VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE RIMS SINCE THE RECALL ONLY PERTAINED TO POLICE VEHICLES. THE CONTACT WANTED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIM OWNING THE VEHICLE AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE VIN AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

NHTSA ID

10262425

Incident

Mar 16, 2009

Mileage

89,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND MAY ILLUMINATE EITHER 15 MINUTES OR DAYS LATER. SOMETIMES, WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS ACTIVATED A FEW TIMES, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE. THROUGH NUMEROUS RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND INVESTIGATIONS, BUT NO RECALLS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE DETANGABLES, BUT NOTHING HAS PERMANENTLY REPAIRED THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000. UPDATED 8/3/09 *CN UPDATED 08/05/09.*JB

NHTSA ID

10259129

Incident

Dec 1, 2008

Mileage

108,000 mi