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
39
78,727 mi
Engine
28
82,000 mi
Seats
24
75,000 mi
Electrical system
22
63,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
17
21,900 mi
Tires
16
32,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
12
70,200 mi
Air bags
11
81,000 mi
Steering
10
80,000 mi
Wheels
10
52,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
5
42,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
5
73,000 mi
Structure: body
5
78,000 mi
Suspension
5
52,000 mi
Service brakes
4
22,000 mi
Structure
4
64,258 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
4
11,000 mi
Unknown or other
4
155,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
3
—
Visibility/wiper
3
101,000 mi
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
2
14,600 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
22,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system
2
37,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: radiator assembly
2
53,000 mi
Equipment
2
12,000 mi
Exterior lighting
2
31,000 mi
Interior lighting
2
36,000 mi
Tires: valve
2
16,837 mi
Visibility
2
44,500 mi
Visibility: glass, side/rear
2
34,012 mi
Air bags: side/window
1
22,000 mi
Child seat
1
—
Electrical system: wiring: interior/under dash
1
359 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system
1
73,000 mi
Equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/CD etc.
1
—
Exterior lighting: tail lights
1
359 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
1
12,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages
1
123,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)
1
55,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
1
36,000 mi
Seat belts: front
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
1
36,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
The 2006 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. The 2008 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.