2001 Ford Super Duty

DURING THE INITIAL RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2001, THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED BY FORD DEALERSHIPS USING A TEST TOOL THAT WOULD DETECT A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION VEHICLES PASSED THE INSPECTION TEST FOR ONE OR BOTH FRONT BUCKLES.SUBSEQUENT TO THE RECALL SERVICE ACTION, ODI RECEIVED 15 CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING THAT A PASSED INSPECTION BUCKLE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO LATCH OR INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED DURING USE.IN ADDITION, FORD HAS IDENTIFIED 543 OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS ALLEGING BUCKLE FAILURE SUBSEQUENT TO PASSING THE INSPECTION TEST.FORD TESTED AND EXAMINED OVER 100 WARRANTY-RETURNED BUCKLES AND FOUND THAT 44% OF THE BUCKLES HAD NO PROBLEM OR A CONDITION NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL INSPECTION (NON-LATCH RELATED BUCKLE DAMAGE OR FOREIGN CONTAMINATION).WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE HIGHEST DURING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD AFTER THE START OF THE RECALL (JULY 2001) AND HAVE BEEN DECLINING DURING THE PAST 24 MONTHS.OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, FORD HAS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 12 WARRANTY CLAIMS PER MONTH OUT OF A VEHICLE POPULATION OF ABOUT ONE MILLION.COMPLAINTS COUNTS ARE ALSO DECREASING.DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, ODI HAS RECEIVED ONLY TWO COMPLAINTS. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.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.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN (01V227), FORD RECALLED APPROXIMATELY 1.3 MILLION VEHICLES TO INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE FRONT DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE.APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILLION OWNERS RESPONDED BY TAKING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THE BUCKLE USING A SPECIALIZED BUCKLE TEST TOOL.FORD REPORTED THAT 829,927 VEHICLES HAD BOTH BUCKLES PASS THE TOOL TEST AND ANOTHER 167,336 VEHICLES HAD ONE BUCKLE PASS.ODI AND FORD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ALLEGING SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE ORIGINAL RECALL INSPECTION SERVICE.COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THAT THE BUCKLE FAILED BY EITHER NOT LATCHING OR FALSE-LATCHING (PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATCH TO THE LATCH PLATE).A FALSE-LATCHED BUCKLE MAY RELEASE WITH MINOR MOVEMENT OR IMPACT AGAINST THE BUCKLE HOUSING INCLUDING INADVERTENT RELEASE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS RECALL QUERY TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-004) TO FURTHER ANALYZE THE FIELD PERFORMANCE OF THOSE VEHICLES THAT FORD DEALERS PASSED (ONE OR BOTH BUCKLES) USING FORD'S INSPECTION TEST (997,263 VEHICLES).

PROBLEMS WITH FORD SUPER DUTY PICKUPS WITH DIESEL ENGINES WHICH CAUSED THE DEATH OF ONE MAN AND INJURED HIS TWO MINOR CHILDREN. (LAWYER ON BEHALF OF DECEASED) *MR THE INCIDENT MAY HAD BEEN CAUSED BY AN INOPERATIVE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OF THE OTHER MOTORIST VEHICLE WHO CUASED THE ACCIDENT. PH *JB *MR

NHTSA ID

10026462

UPON ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE TRUCK SUDDENLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS, THE R.P.M. GAUGE STARTED FLUCTUATING FROM 1000 TO 3000 R.P.M., IT SQUEALED AND JERKED INTO GEAR AND A POPPING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRONT END. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM, BUT HE SUGGESTED THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CLUTCH FAN SLIPPING. CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AGAIN WHAT HE FELT WAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BUT THE LIGHT NEVER FLASHED ON THE OVERDRIVE COLUMN SO TAKING NOTE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND CONTINUED DRIVING. THEN THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ON THE OVERDRIVE COLUMN, WITHIN SECONDS, CONSUMER NOTICED A LARGE PUFF OF BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK, THE R.P.M. GAUGE WENT TO BELOW 1000, THE TRUCK LOST ALL POWER, AND THE CAB STARTED FILLING WITH SMOKE AND FIRE WAS ESCALATING UNDER THE TRUCK AND HOOD. POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. *YD

NHTSA ID

564157

Incident

Nov 13, 2001

VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 7.3L ENGINE (AFTER SERIAL NUMBER 0661894) - UNDER VALVE COVER (UVC) HARNESS RETAINER CLIP RELEASED FOR SERVICE. INCLUDES 2003 ECONOLINE, SUPER DUTY, F650/750 AND EXCURSION. *TT

SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT LACK OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. *TT

SUBJECT REGARDING VEHICLES EXHIBITING COLD START ROLLING IDLE. *TT

INFORMATION USED WHEN CONFIGURING THE ECS (ELECTRONIC CRASH SENSOR). *TT

INFORMATION ON THE REVISED CLUTCH DISC. *TT