Model year record

1988 Ford F Series

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 4 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 89V009000

Steering: linkages

Component
Steering: linkages
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Vehicles affected
24,454
Reported to NHTSA
1989-01-24
Owners notified
1989-02-07

Defect description

BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE FRONT AXLE TRACK BAR BRACKET TO THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER MAY LOOSEN, ALLOWING THE FRONT WHEELS TO OSCILLATE WITH FRONT END SHIMMY.

Safety risk

SEVERE SHIMMY COULD DAMAGE STEERING LINKAGE OR STEERINGGEAR, WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

INSTALL REDESIGNED FRONT AXLE TRACK BAR TO CROSSMEMBER BRACKET AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE CERTAIN STEERING COMPONENTS.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Electrical system: ignition1
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1
Unknown or other158,000 mi
Vehicle speed control190,000 mi

The 1987 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. The 1989 model has about 1.5 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.