Ford Trailer Hitches

Ford is recalling about 565,800 vehicles over a problem with the trailer hitches. The trailer hitch could then separate from the vehicle.

Campaign
00V073000
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Reported
7 March 2000
Vehicles
565,800
Built between
Jul 1996 – Dec 1999
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA investigation
Owners notified
15 May 2000
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between July 1996 and December 1999. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1997-2000 Ford ExpeditionBuilt July 1996 to December 1999
  • 1997-2000 Lincoln NavigatorBuilt July 1996 to December 1999

What the defect is

Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly to the frame attaching bolts could lose the clamp load.

What could happen

The trailer hitch could then separate from the vehicle.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH MOUNTING BOLTS AND NUT PLATES.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJuly 1996 to December 1999
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA7 March 2000
  3. Owners notified15 May 2000

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 7 March 2000.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
00S05
Recalling manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Recall initiated by
ODI

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owner notification began may 15, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand