Ford Motor Company: Steering
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 29, 2013 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 355,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Severe corrosion can seize the lower intermediate shaft which may cause the upper intermediate shaft to collapse and the steering column lower bearing to separate.
The risk
If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.
21 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Ford Crown Victoria | 23 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 Lincoln Town Car | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 Ford Crown Victoria | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2010 Lincoln Town Car | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis | 25 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2009 Ford Crown Victoria | 44 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2009 Lincoln Town Car | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis | 26 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2008 Ford Crown Victoria | 50 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 2008 Lincoln Town Car | 20 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis | 80 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| 2007 Ford Crown Victoria | 50 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 2007 Lincoln Town Car | 84 | 3 | 1 | 19 |
| 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis | 96 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2006 Ford Crown Victoria | 53 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| 2006 Lincoln Town Car | 143 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis | 143 | 3 | 2 | 16 |
| 2005 Ford Crown Victoria | 193 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
| 2005 Lincoln Town Car | 119 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
| 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis | 488 | 5 | 5 | 24 |
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 13V385000.
Full record for the 2011 Ford Crown Victoria → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →