ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME MAY HAVE BEEN OVER-TIGHTENED. THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN ONE OR BOTH OF THE BOLTS FRACTURING, CAUSING THE STEERING GEAR TO BECOME LOOSE.
Safety risk
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE "CLUNKING" NOISE WHEN STEERING AS WELL AS DECREASED STEERING EFFECTIVENESS POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY MOUNTING BOLTS AND NUTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Power train: automatic transmission
13
4,400 mi
Electrical system
12
27,900 mi
Engine
11
72,481 mi
Power train
8
77,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
8
6,821 mi
Tires
8
23,500 mi
Engine and engine cooling
4
76,800 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system
4
40,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
4
72,481 mi
Steering
4
40,000 mi
Exterior lighting
3
114,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
3
2,460 mi
Vehicle speed control
3
45,000 mi
Visibility: windshield
3
10 mi
Wheels
3
77,000 mi
Air bags: side/window
2
2,000 mi
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
2
1 mi
Seats
2
3,000 mi
Service brakes
2
40,000 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
2
23,138 mi
Unknown or other
2
1 mi
Air bags
1
72,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
15,490 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
1
360 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline
1
3,000 mi
Equipment
1
2,000 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner
1
85,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
1
13,500 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)
1
2,155 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
1
19,259 mi
Service brakes, electric
1
54,032 mi
Structure
1
—
Structure: body
1
45,000 mi
Suspension
1
3,000 mi
Suspension: front
1
55,000 mi
Suspension: rear
1
45,000 mi
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
1
160,000 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
1
42,000 mi
Visibility: glass, side/rear
1
1,110 mi
Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
1
100,000 mi
The 2006 model has 20 times as many complaints as this one. The 2008 model has 4 times as many 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.