Ford Motor Company: Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 8, 2000 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,393. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A MIS-ASSEMBLED OR INCORRECTLY MANUFACTURED NUT THAT ATTACHES THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO THE STEERING COLUMN. THE NUT COULD BE UPSIDE DOWN IN THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY, WHICH COULD OVERSTRESS THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WHEN THE NUT IS TIGHTENED. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE NUTS MAY HAVE BEEN CRACKED DURING MANUFACTURE RESULTING IN THE NUT FRACTURING WHEN IT IS TIGHTENED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY.
The risk
EITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS CAN LEAD TO THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMING LOOSE OR SEPARATING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL RETENTION ARMATURE AND, IF NECESSARY, THE STEERING COLUMN TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION.
1 model year covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Ford Escape | 996 | 15 | 58 | 76 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 00V223001.
Full record for the 2001 Ford Escape → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →