- Vehicles
- 1,736
- Built between
- Nov 2002 – Feb 2003
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 14 April 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2002 and February 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2003 Lincoln LSBuilt November 2002 to February 2003
What the defect is
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 17 inch chrome wheels, the chrome wheels were not heat-treated. These wheels may crack at the lug-nut holes, which could result in the loss of the lug-nut torque.
What could happen
If this condition occurs, the driver may experience noise and/or vibration while driving the vehicle. Continued operation of the vehicle could result in the wheel separating from the hub, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WHEELS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN HEAT-TREATED. ANY WHEEL THAT HAS NOT BEEN HEAT-TREATED WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 14, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2002 to February 2003
- Recall reported to NHTSA7 April 2003
- Owners notified14 April 2003
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 April 2003.
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.
Manufacturer contact
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 lincoln at 1-800-521-4140.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 03S01
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
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
Ford recall NO.03S01. Customers can 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.