- Vehicles
- 12,700
- Built between
- Nov 1987 – Sep 1992
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 9 September 1994
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1987 and September 1992. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1988-1993 Ford B600Built November 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Ford B700Built November 1987 to September 1992
What the defect is
The steering gears have an improperly machined snap ring groove. This can cause a fracture of the snap ring with subsequent damage to the recirculating ball guide tube. Also, the o-ring seal in vehicles built after february 1988 does not meet specifications and is inadequate, causing interior leakage around the o-ring / glide ring seal in the steering gear.
What could happen
The fracture of the snap ring results in increasing deterioration of the ability to turn the vehicle to the right. The driver would experience increased steering efforts or a "crunchy" feeling at the steering wheel. The inadequate o-ring seal causes momentary reductions in power steering assist at low speed and certain left turn maneuvers. Both conditions result in decreased steering ability.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REBUILD THE STEERING GEAR. IF A BROKEN SNAP RING IS FOUND DURING REBUILDING, THE STEERING GEAR WILL BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED UNIT.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1987 to September 1992
- Recall reported to NHTSA27 June 1994
- Owners notified9 September 1994
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 June 1994.
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
- 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
System: steering: gear: rack and pinion.vehicle description: school bus chassis.note: if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided within a reasonable time and freeof charge or the remedy does not correct the defect or noncompliance, please contact the ford service center at 1-800-392-3673. Also, contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.