- Vehicles
- 171,446
- Built between
- Mar 1996 – Sep 1996
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 30 May 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 1996 and September 1996. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1997 Ford ExpeditionBuilt March 1996 to September 1996
- 1997 Ford F-150Built March 1996 to September 1996
- 1997 Ford F-250Built March 1996 to September 1996
What the defect is
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, if the intermediate shaft yoke separates from the steering gear input shaft, the steering system becomes disconnected.
What could happen
This could result in loss of steering control, potentially resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT YOKE TO DETERMINE IF THE YOKE IS FULLY SEATED ON THE STEERING GEAR INPUT SHAFT. IF THE YOKE IS FULLY SEATED NO SERVICE IS REQUIRED. IF THE YOKE IS NOT FULLY SEATED AND BOLT GROOVE AND SPLINE IS VISIBLE, THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND BOLT WILL BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE BOLT AT THE STEERING COLUMN CONNECTION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 1996 to September 1996
- Recall reported to NHTSA27 May 2003
- Owners notified30 May 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 27 May 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 ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 03S02
- 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
Ford recall no. 03S02.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.