VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL WABCO AIR DRYER. THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM WAS PLUMBED SO THAT THE SYSTEMS DID NOT PROVIDE AIR RESERVOIR ISOLATION. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS."
Safety risk
THE AIR BRAKE RESERVOIR PRESSURE COULD BE DEPLETED, ACTIVATING THE EMERGENCY SPRING BRAKE. WITH THE EMERGENCY SPRING BRAKE DEPLOYED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AND COULD NOT BE MOVED UNTIL THE BRAKE AIR SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE AIR LINE PLUMBING TO INSTALL A CHECK VALVE.
Service brakes, air: supply: low pressure warning: switch
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Vehicles affected
500
Reported to NHTSA
1996-10-15
Owners notified
1996-12-04
Defect description
THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM WAS MANUFACTURED HAVING AIR BRAKE PRESSURE RELEASE TIMES OF APPROXIMATELY 1.5 SECONDS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS."
Safety risk
THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN SLIGHT TRAILER BRAKE DRAG AND TIRE SCUFFING INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A QUICK RELEASE VALVE IN THE AIR PRESSURE RELEASE SYSTEMS.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Power train: driveline: universal joint
1
—
Seat belts: rear/other: buckle assembly
1
53,717 mi
Steering
1
—
The 1996 model has 3 times as many complaints as this one. The 1998 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.