Ford Motor Company: Service Brakes, Air
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Oct 19, 2000 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 8,400. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MEDIUM DUTY TANDEM REAR AXLE TRUCKS WITH ABS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS." THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM WAS PLUMBED SO THAT COMPLETE AIR RESERVOIR ISOLATION WAS NOT PROVIDED. SOME VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH AN AIR LINE FROM THE SYSTEM ECU RELAY VALVE MODULE TEE FITTING, INCORRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM SUPPLY TANK, RATHER THAN THE SYSTEM AUXILIARY PRIMARY TANK.
The risk
A LEAKAGE OR FAILURE CAN CAUSE A PRESSURE LOSS IN THE SECONDARY TANK RESULTING IN THE DRAINING OF THE PRIMARY TANK ALSO, AND THUS A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE SYSTEM AIR PRESSURE, DIMINISHING BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VEHICLE HAS THE INCORRECTLY ROUTED AIR LINE. THOSE WITH THE CONDITION WILL BE CORRECTLY PLUMBED AND THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM TESTED TO VERIFY PROPER RESERVOIR ISOLATION.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Ford Aeromax | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Ford Louisville | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
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 00V335000.
Full record for the 1998 Ford Aeromax → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →