Ford Motor Company: Steering › Linkages
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 18, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 72,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THE PITMAN ARMS WERE NOT FULLY LUBRICATED AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT. THE "BALL JOINT" AT THE OUTER END OF THE PITMAN ARM CAN BECOME CONTAMINATED AND CORRODE.
The risk
SUCH CORROSION CAN RESULT IN ABNORMAL WEAR OF THE JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE JOINT. LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL CAN OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES AND IF THE JOINT IS FOUND TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT WEAR, THE ARM WILL BE REPLACED. THOSE PITMAN ARMS NOT REPLACED WILL HAVE THE "BALL JOINT" FULLY GREASED.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Crown Victoria | 276 | 12 | 16 | 13 |
| 1996 Lincoln Town Car | 259 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| 1995 Ford Crown Victoria | 250 | 12 | 11 | 15 |
| 1995 Lincoln Town Car | 165 | 9 | 10 | 16 |
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 96V135000.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Crown Victoria → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →