2005 Ford F-150 Recalls

ODI opened this investigation based on reports of inadvertent airbag deployment.Data provided by Ford indicated that the airbag clockspring jumper wire, which is situated inside the steering wheel assembly, was installed in a manner that would allow it to rub (abrade) against a sharp metal edge on the nearby horn plate.Because the horn plate is electrically grounded the abrasion of an airbag wire on the sharp edge could cause a short circuit condition.As a result the airbag light may illuminate and/or the airbag may inadvertently deploy.Inadvertent deployments are most likely to occur during the airbag system's self-diagnostic test that initiates when the ignition switch is turned on.Ford modified the vehicle design in late January 2006 adding a protective tape over the sharp metal edge of the horn plate.Ford made additional design changes on MY 2007 vehicles to the horn plate, the clockspring jumper, and the connector layouts to further address this issue.ODI identified 318 deployment incidents with 121 alleged injury reports from subject vehicles.All but one of the incident and injury reports occurred in vehicles built before the January 2006 modification.In addition, there was one incident and alleged injury reported in the MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles that share the same design. In letters dated February 21 and April 11, 2011, Ford announced a recall of all of the approximately 1.3 million MY 2004-2006 F-150 vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006, the date the initial vehicle modification was made.In addition, approximately 14,000 MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006 will also be recalled.Vehicles built after that date, which contain the modification, are not within the recall scope.Accordingly the investigation is closed.

FORD REPORTS THAT THE INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE AIRBAG HORN MOUNTING PLATE'S SHARP METAL EDGE THAT EVENTUALLY CAN CHAFE/CUT THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING JUMPER WIRE LEADING TO A SHORT-TO-GROUND CONDITION.ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY TWO (182) OF THE 230 REPORTS WERE FOR AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS RESULTING IN 56 INJURIES WITH REMAINING 48 REPORTS FOR AN AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION CONDITION.INJURIES INCLUDE ABRASION, CONTUSION AND CUTS TO THE ARM/HAND/FACE AND/OR UPPER BODY REGIONS.ONE OWNER REPORTED A BROKEN TOOTH AND TWO OWNERS REPORTED BEING KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AS A RESULT OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT.IN ADDITION, MY2004 AND MY2006 F-150 VEHICLES ALSO CONTAIN THE SAME DESIGN THAT RESULTED IN AN ADDITIONAL 89 REPORTS WITH 37 AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS AND NINE INJURIES. FORD MADE AN INTERIM DESIGN CHANGE TO THE HORN MOUNTING PLATE IN JANUARY 2006 AND THEN MAJOR CHANGES TO THE HORN MOUNTING PLATE, AIRBAG MODULE AND CLOCKSPRING JUMPER WIRE DESIGNS IN JUNE 2006 FOR THE MY2007 VEHICLES.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA10-001) TO INCLUDE MY2004-2006 F-150 VEHICLES AND TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE CONDITION.

BY LETTER DATED MAY 5, 2008, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-208) TO ADDRESS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY 605,684 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 AND 2006 FORD F-150 AND LINCOLN MARK LT VEHICLES ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.4L DISPLACEMENT, 3-VALVE PER CYLINDER, V-8 ENGINE.THE RECALLED VEHICLES WERE BUILT FROM JULY 18, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE DEARBORN TRUCK PLANT; FROM MAY 4, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT; AND FROM APRIL 19, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE NORFOLK TRUCK PLANT.THE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY UNIQUE TO THE 5.4L V-8 ENGINE.FORD F-150 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONALLY AVAILABLE 4.2L V6 AND 4.6L V-8 ENGINES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL ACTION BECAUSE THEY UTILIZE A DIFFERENT, ONE-PIECE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY THAT DOES NOT EXHIBIT AN APPARENT DEFECT TREND. THE RECALLED VEHICLES UTILIZE A TWO-PIECE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY COMPRISED OF A STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY AND VACUUM HOSE.THE STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY ATTACHES TO A FITTING ON THE ENGINE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD UTILIZING A FLEXIBLE RUBBER HOSE AND PLASTIC ELBOW.THE VACUUM HOSE ATTACHES TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTS TO A CHECK VALVE FITTING AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY.ACCORDING TO FORD, THE PORTION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY SWELL OVER TIME AND LOSE RETENTION FORCE, WHICH MAY ALLOW THE HOSE TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD.SHOULD THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY BE DISRUPTED, APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL MAY DEPLETE THE VACUUM RESERVE AND CONSEQUENTLY RESULT IN LOSS OF BRAKE POWER-ASSIST. TO CORRECT THE SAFETY DEFECT, FORD WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED DESIGN BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY THAT UTILIZES A HOSE CLAMP AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT. THIS REMEDY WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE FOR ALL RECALLED VEHICLES.LATER PRODUCTION FORD F-150 AND LINCOLN MARK LT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MAY 2006 WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A HOSE CLAMP AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE/INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT AND ARE NOT AFFECTED. TO DATE, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) IS AWARE OF 324 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS AND 14 NON-INJURY CRASHES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF 4,465 SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCED ONE OR MORE WARRANTY CLAIMS TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY. THE ACTION TAKEN BY FORD IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.