Ford Motor Company: Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Gear Position Indication (prndl)
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on May 28, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 2,400. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS AND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS-COWLS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE WELDS THAT ATTACH THE KEY TO THE TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN MOUNTED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE MAY NOT ADEQUATELY RETAIN THE KEY, ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN A GEAR OTHER THAN THAT INDICATED ON THE "PRNDL", OR IN SOME CASES, "RNDL."
The risk
THE DOMESTIC SPECIAL ORDER (DSO) PARK BRAKE MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, OR IN THE VEHICLE MOVING IN AN UNINTENDED DIRECTION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. IN SOME VEHICLES THE DSO PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM ALSO MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED, WHICH CAN RESULT IN THE PARK BRAKE NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN SHIFT TUBE AND, IF SO EQUIPPED, TO HAVE THE DSO PARK BRAKE LINKAGE ADJUSTED.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Ford B800 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Ford F700 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Ford F800 | 6 | 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 97V091000.
Full record for the 1998 Ford B800 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →