15S12 – Inspect Underbody Heat Shields – 2015 Ford F-150 – Ford & Lincoln

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SUMMARY:

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 vehicles manufactured January 30, 2015, to January 31, 2015.

The affected vehicles may have loose or missing underbody heat shields.

CONSEQUENCE:

A missing underbody heat shield can lead to degradation or melting of the fuel or vapor lines, increasing the risk of a fire.

REMEDY:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing underbody heat shields and fasteners, and will install the missing components as required, free of charge.

The recall began on May 13, 2015.

Owners may contact

Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Ford’s number for this recall is 15S12.

NOTES:

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check if your Vehicle has a Recall

April 28, 2015

TO: All U.S.Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 15S12
Certain 2015 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Inspect Underbody Heat Shields

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle	Model Year	Assembly Plant	Build Dates
F-150	2015	Dearborn	January 30, 2015 through January 31, 2015

Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS.

REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL

Some of the affected vehicles may have missing underbody heat shields and/or bolts. Missing underbody heat shields may result in degradation or melting of fuel or vapor lines, increasing the risk of fire. Missing underbody shield bolts may result in noise under the vehicle.

SERVICE ACTION

Before demonstrating or delivering any of the vehicles involved in this recall, dealers are to inspect the vehicles to ensure the underbody heat shields are present and retained with all five bolts. Any vehicle found to have missing underbody heat shields or bolts must have the missing components installed.

OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner Letters are expected to be mailed the week of May 11, 2015. Dealers should repair any affected vehicles that arrive at their dealerships, whether or not the customer has received a letter.

This service must be performed on all affected vehicles at no charge to the vehicle owner.

PLEASE NOTE:

Federal law requires dealers to complete this recall service before a new vehicle is delivered to the buyer or lessee. Violation of this requirement by a dealer could result in a civil penalty of up to $7,000 per vehicle. Correct all vehicles in your new vehicle inventory before delivery.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment I: Administrative Information
Attachment II: Labor Allowances and Parts Ordering Information
Attachment III: Technical Information
Owner Notification Letter

QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

Special Service Support Center (Dealer Assistance Only) 1-800-325-5621

ATTACHMENT I

DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 15S12
Certain 2015 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Inspect Underbody Heat Shields

OASIS ACTIVATED?

Yes, OASIS will be activated on April 28, 2015.

FSA VIN LIST ACTIVATED?

Yes, FSA VIN list will be available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com on April 28, 2015. Owner names and addresses will be available by May 22, 2015.

NOTE: Your FSA VIN list may contain owner names and addresses obtained from motor vehicle registration records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other than in connection with this recall is a violation of law in several states, provinces, and countries.

Accordingly, you must limit the use of this listing to the follow-up necessary to complete this recall.

STOCK VEHICLES

Correct all affected units in your new vehicle inventory before delivery.

SOLD VEHICLES

Owners of affected vehicles will be directed to dealers for repairs.
Immediately contact any of your affected customers whose vehicles are not on your VIN list but are identified in OASIS. Give the customer a copy of the Owner Notification Letter (when available) and schedule a service date.
Correct other affected vehicles identified in OASIS which are brought to your dealership.

TITLE BRANDED / SALVAGED VEHICLES

Affected title branded and salvaged vehicles are eligible for this recall.

ADDITIONAL LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS

Contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) if you have any of the following:  Damage that you believe was caused by the covered condition.

A condition that requires additional labor and/or parts to complete the repair.
Aftermarket equipment or non-Ford modifications to the vehicle which might prevent the repair of the covered condition.

Contact the SSSC prior to the repair. Please be prepared to provide your requested additional warranty part cost, estimated additional labor time, and dealer specific labor rate. Requests for approval after completion of the repair may not be granted. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to deny coverage for related damage in cases where the vehicle owner has not had this recall performed on a timely basis. Additional related damage parts are subject to random selection for return to the Ford Warranty Parts Analysis Center (WPAC).

OWNER REFUNDS

Refunds are not approved for this program.

RENTAL VEHICLES

If a customer’s vehicle requires the installation of underbody heat shields or bolts and it is necessary to order parts, Ford Motor Company will pay for up to two days of vehicle rental. Follow Extended Service Plan (ESP) guidelines for dollar amounts. The daily rate can include applicable taxes but must not exceed the stated daily rate. Rentals will only be reimbursed for the day(s) the vehicle is at the dealership for part replacement. Prior approval for more than two rental days is required from the Special Service Support Center (1-800-325-5621). To guarantee the shortest delivery time, an emergency order for parts must be placed.

CLAIMS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

Enter claims using Direct Warranty Entry (DWE) or One Warranty Solution (OWS).
- DWE: Refer to ACESII manual for claims preparation and submission information.
- OWS: When entering claims in DMS software, select claim type 31: Field Service Action. The FSA number (15S12) is the sub code.
Refer to ACESII manual for claims preparation and submission information.
Additional labor and/or parts must be claimed as related damage on a repair line that is separate from the repair line on which the FSA is claimed. Additional labor and/or parts require prior approval from the Special Service Support Center.
For rental vehicle claiming, follow Extended Service Plan (ESP) guidelines for dollar amounts.

Enter the total amount of the rental expense under Miscellaneous Expense code “Rental”.

ATTACHMENT II

DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 15S12
Certain 2015 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Inspect Underbody Heat Shields

LABOR ALLOWANCES

Description	Labor Operation	Labor Time
Inspect Underbody Heat Shields and Bolts (Nothing Missing)	15S12A	0.2 Hours
Inspect and Install Bolts Only (Both Heat Shields Present)	15S12B	0.5 Hours
Inspect and Install Left Heat Shield and Bolts	15S12C	0.7 Hours
Inspect and Install Right Heat Shield and Bolts	15S12D	2.1 Hours
Inspect and Install Both Heat Shields and Bolts	15S12E	2.2 Hours

PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION

NOTE: Parts are only required if found to be missing during inspection.

Part Number	Description	Quantity
FL3Z-5G221-B	Left Heat Shield	1
FL3Z-5G221-A	Right Heat Shield	1
W520514-S440	Exhaust Nut	4
W707959-S439	Bolt For Heat Shields	5

The DOR/COR number for this recall is 50591.

Order your parts requirements through normal order processing channels.

Questions regarding parts should be directed to the Special Service Support Center (1-800-325-5621) or E-mailed to: Ford@Renkim.com.

DEALER PRICE

For latest prices, refer to DOES II.

PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN

Follow the provisions of the Warranty and Policy Manual, Section 1 “WARRANTY PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN POLICIES.”

EXCESS STOCK RETURN

Excess stock returned for credit must have been purchased from Ford Customer Service Division in accordance with Policy Procedure Bulletin 4000.

ATTACHMENT III

CERTAIN 2015 MODEL YEAR F-150 VEHICLES — INSPECT UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELDS

OVERVIEW

Some vehicles may have missing underbody heat shields and bolts. The underbody heat shields should be located above the catalytic converters. If both underbody heat shields are present and all five bolts (two on left heat shield and three on the right heat shield) in place, no repair is required.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Underbody Heat Shield Inspection

Raise vehicle on hoist. Please follow the procedures in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 100-02.
Inspect the Left Hand (LH) side of vehicle frame to verify that the underbody heat shield is present above the LH catalytic converter, and the two bolts are present securing it to the frame. See Figure 1.
- If the LH heat shield is present and retained by two bolts, proceed to Step 3 for Right Hand (RH) shield inspection.
- If the LH heat shield is present, but missing one or more bolts, install new bolts(s).
  - Tighten to 20 Nm (177 in-lbs).
- If the LH shield is not present, install a new heat shield and bolts using the procedure under “LH Underbody Heat Shield Installation” on Page 2.

FIGURE 1

Inspect the RH side of vehicle frame to verify that the underbody heat shield is present above the RH catalytic converter, and the three bolts are present securing it to the frame. See Figure 2.
- If the RH shield is present and retained by all three bolts, no repair is required.
- If the RH shield is present, but missing one or more bolts, install new bolt(s).
  - Tighten to 20 Nm (177 in-lbs).
- If the RH shield is not present, install a new heat shield and bolts using the procedure under “RH Underbody Heat Shield Installation” below.

FIGURE 2

LH Underbody Heat Shield Installation

Remove the LH catalytic converter. Please follow the procedures in WSM Section 309-00.
Install the new heat shield and two new bolts. See Figure 1.
- Tighten to 20 Nm (177 in-lbs).
Install the LH catalytic converter. Please follow the procedures in WSM Section 309-00.

RH Underbody Heat Shield Installation

Remove the RH catalytic converter. Please follow the procedures in WSM Section 309-00.
Install the new heat shield and three new bolts. See Figure 2.
- Tighten to 20 Nm (177 in-lbs).
Install the RH catalytic converter. Please follow the procedures in WSM Section 309-00.

May 2015

* * * IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL * * *
(PROGRAMA DE SEGURIDAD IMPORTANTE)

Safety Recall Notice 15S12 / NHTSA Recall 15V-251
Aviso de Revisión de Seguridad 15S12

Mr. John Sample
123 Main Street
Anywhere, USA 12345

This notice applies to your vehicle, 12345678901234567.

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Ford Motor Company has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in your vehicle, with the Vehicle Identification Number shown above.

We apologize for this situation and want to assure you that, with your assistance, we will correct this condition. Our commitment, together with your dealer, is to provide you with the highest level of service and support.

What is the issue?	Your vehicle may be missing underbody heat shields and/or bolts. Missing underbody heat shield bolts may result in noise under the vehicle. Missing underbody heat shields may result in melting of fuel or vapor lines, increasing the risk of fire.
What will Ford and your dealer do?	Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect your vehicle and if necessary, install any missing underbody heat shield(s) and/or bolt(s) free of charge (parts and labor).
How long will it take?	The time needed for this repair is less than one-half day. However, due to service scheduling requirements, your dealer may need your vehicle for a longer period of time. Your dealer will need to inspect your vehicle to determine if parts will need to be ordered. If a repair is required, additional time may be required to allow the engine to cool.
What should you do?	Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date for Recall 15S12. Provide the dealer with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of our vehicle. The VIN is printed near your name at the beginning of this letter. If you do not already have a servicing dealer, you can access www.Fordowner.com for dealer addresses, maps, and driving instructions. Ford Motor Company wants you to have this safety recall completed on your vehicle. The vehicle owner is responsible for making arrangements to have the work completed. Ford Motor Company can deny coverage for any vehicle damage that may result from the failure to have this recall performed on a timely basis. Therefore, please have this recall performed as soon as possible. Please note: Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.
Do you need a rental vehicle?	If your dealer determines that installation of a missing underbody heat shield(s) and/or bolt(s) is required and needs your vehicle overnight, your dealer is authorized to provide a rental vehicle for your personal transportation at no charge (except for fuel and insurance) while your vehicle is at the dealership for repairs. Please see your dealer for guidelines and limitations.
What if you no longer own this vehicle?	If you no longer own this vehicle, and have an address for the current owner, please forward this letter to the new owner. You received this notice because government regulations require that notification be sent to the last known owner of record. Our records are based primarily on state registration and title data, which indicate that you are the current owner.
Can we assist you further?	If you have difficulties getting your vehicle repaired promptly and without charge, please contact your dealership’s Service Manager for assistance. RETAIL OWNERS: If you still have concerns, please contact the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332 and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you. For the hearing impaired call 1-800-232-5952 (TDD). Representatives are available Monday through Friday: 8:00AM – 8:00PM (Eastern Time). If you wish to contact us through the Internet, our address is: www.Fordowner.com. Para asistencia en Español: Si necesita ayuda o tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llame al Centro de Relación con Clientes al 1-866-436-7332 y presione 2 para Español. FLEET OWNERS: If you still have concerns, please contact the Fleet Customer Information Center at 1-800-34-FLEET, Option #3 and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you. Representatives are available Monday through Friday: 8:00AM – 8:00PM (Eastern Time). Or you may contact us through the Internet at www.fleet.ford.com. If you are still having difficulty getting your vehicle repaired in a reasonable time or without charge, you may write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov. Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 15V-251.