Ford Motor Company: Steering › Rack and Pinion
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jun 27, 1994 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 12,700. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THE STEERING GEARS HAVE AN IMPROPERLY MACHINED SNAP RING GROOVE. THIS CAN CAUSE A FRACTURE OF THE SNAP RING WITH SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO THE RECIRCULATING BALL GUIDE TUBE. ALSO, THE O-RING SEAL IN VEHICLES BUILT AFTER FEBRUARY 1988 DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS AND IS INADEQUATE, CAUSING INTERIOR LEAKAGE AROUND THE O-RING / GLIDE RING SEAL IN THE STEERING GEAR.
The risk
THE FRACTURE OF THE SNAP RING RESULTS IN INCREASING DETERIORATION OF THE ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. THE DRIVER WOULD EXPERIENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORTS OR A "CRUNCHY" FEELING AT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE INADEQUATE O-RING SEAL CAUSES MOMENTARY REDUCTIONS IN POWER STEERING ASSIST AT LOW SPEED AND CERTAIN LEFT TURN MANEUVERS. BOTH CONDITIONS RESULT IN DECREASED STEERING ABILITY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REBUILD THE STEERING GEAR. IF A BROKEN SNAP RING IS FOUND DURING REBUILDING, THE STEERING GEAR WILL BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED UNIT.
8 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 Ford B600 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 Ford B700 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 Ford B600 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 Ford B700 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 Ford B600 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 Ford B700 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 Ford B600 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 Ford B700 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 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 94V118000.
Full record for the 1993 Ford B600 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →