- Vehicles
- 29,946
- Built between
- Oct 2001 – Sep 2002
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 8 August 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between October 2001 and September 2002. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2003 Ford Crown VictoriaBuilt October 2001 to September 2002
- 2003 Ford CvpiBuilt October 2001 to September 2002
What the defect is
On certain police and taxi vehicles equipped with steel wheels, some of the wheels may develop cracks in the rim near the weld line that connects the rim to the disk.
What could happen
The cracks can ultimately result in rapid air loss from the tire and could affect vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FOUR ROAD WHEELS AND SPARE WHEEL WITH THE MANUFACTURING DATE CODES OF AUGUST 18, 2001 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2002. IN ADDITION, FORD IS PROVIDING EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR WHEELS ON 2003 CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR AND TAXIS BUILT FROM OCTOBER 1, 2002 THROUGH APRIL 29, 2003. THESE WHEELS ARE EXHIBITING CRACKS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER RATE THAN THOSE WHEELS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 8, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtOctober 2001 to September 2002
- Recall reported to NHTSA5 August 2003
- Owners notified8 August 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 5 August 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 should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 03S05
- 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. 03S05.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.