Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall 13V-385. The prior repairs may not have been correctly performed.
Safety risk
Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.
Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Severe corrosion can seize the lower intermediate shaft which may cause the upper intermediate shaft to collapse and the steering column lower bearing to separate.
Safety risk
If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Air bags
38
72,800 mi
Vehicle speed control
36
38,000 mi
Seat belts
21
81,000 mi
Steering
14
134,926 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
11
100,000 mi
Engine
8
96,000 mi
Electrical system
7
66,000 mi
Structure: body
6
58,600 mi
Exterior lighting
5
89,200 mi
Unknown or other
5
107,000 mi
Service brakes
4
38,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
4
1,900 mi
Power train
3
85,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
3
721 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
2
62,800 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
2
200 mi
Suspension
2
55,749 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
2
713 mi
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
1
5,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
1
99,300 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: gas recirculation valve (EGR valve)
1
—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
1
—
Equipment
1
30,000 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner
1
80,000 mi
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
1
47,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages
1
19,000 mi
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
1
13,800 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The 2005 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. The 2007 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.