15S28 - Shift Control Lever Bolt Torque - 2001-2008 Ford Escape & Mercury Mariner

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SUMMARY:

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009.

The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015.

These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened.

As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.

CONSEQUENCE:

If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the “PARK” position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the “PARK” gear position.

If the vehicle is not in the “PARK” position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter.

A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

REMEDY:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly.

These repairs will be performed free of charge.

The recall began on October 23, 2015.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Ford’s number for this recall is 15S28.

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

September 29, 2015

TO: All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT: Safety Recall 15S28
Certain 2001 through 2008 Model Year Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Vehicles
Equipped with a Remanufactured CD4E Automatic Transmission
Shift Control Lever Bolt Torque

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle	Model Year	Assembly Plant	Build Dates
Escape	2001-2008	Kansas City	March 31, 2001 through September 1, 2009
Mariner	2001-2008	Kansas City	March 31, 2001 through September 1, 2009

Some vehicles are identified in OASIS and FSA VIN Lists. Remaining vehicles will be added as they are identified by dealers (see SERVICE ACTION).

REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL

Ford remanufactured CD4E transmissions installed in some vehicles between June 20, 2015 and August 11, 2015, may have a shift control lever bolt that may not have been installed to the proper torque specification. If the shift control lever bolt becomes loose, the shift control lever may disengage from the transmission without warning and the transmission may not respond to operator gear selection. This can result in possible vehicle roll-away, increasing the risk of an injury or crash.

SERVICE ACTION

Dealers are to torque the shift control lever bolt to the proper specification using a torque wrench.

Identify affected transmissions using ATTACHMENT IV and the following steps:

Search ATTACHMENT IV for your Dealer Name and associated Transmission Serial Number.
- If a VIN is not listed for your affected transmission, use the information provided and your parts sales records to identify an associated VIN. To have a VIN added, contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) via the SSSC Web Contact Site. Be prepared to provide the transmission part number, transmission serial number, and invoice date in the comments to the SSSC.
Contact the owner and arrange a service date after the VIN has been added by the SSSC.
When the vehicle arrives, provide the customer with a copy of the Owner Notification Letter.

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

OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner Letters are expected to be mailed the week of October 19, 2015. Dealers should repair any affected vehicles that arrive at their dealerships, whether or not the customer has received a letter.

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
Attachment IV: Table of Affected Transmissions
Owner Notification Letter

QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

For questions and assistance, contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) via the SSSC Web Contact Site. The SSSC Web Contact Site can be accessed through the Professional Technician Society (PTS) website using the SSSC link listed at the bottom of the OASIS VIN report screen or listed under the SSSC tab.

ATTACHMENT I

Safety Recall 15S28
Certain 2001 through 2008 Model Year Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Vehicles
Equipped with a Remanufactured CD4E Automatic Transmission
Shift Control Lever Bolt Torque

OASIS ACTIVATION

OASIS will be activated for the known VINs on September 29, 2015. Please note that some vehicles serviced with an affected transmission may not be identified in OASIS.

FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION

Some vehicles serviced with an affected transmission may not be identified in OASIS. VINs will only be listed in OASIS for vehicles serviced with an affected transmission where a Ford Powertrain Assembly Service Part Warranty Registration was submitted to Ford Motor Company prior to the launch of this recall.
FSA VIN Lists will be available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com on September 29, 2015. Owner names and addresses will be available by October 30, 2015.

NOTE: Your FSA VIN Lists 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

Use OASIS and ATTACHMENT IV to identify any affected vehicles in your used vehicle inventory.

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 and ATTACHMENT IV. Give the customer a copy of the Owner Notification Letter and schedule a service date.
Correct other affected vehicles identified in OASIS and ATTACHMENT IV, 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

Submit a request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to the repair 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.

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

The use of rental vehicles is not approved for this program.

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 (15S28) is the sub code.
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 SSSC via the SSSC Web Contact Site.

ATTACHMENT II

Safety Recall 15S28
Certain 2001 through 2008 Model Year Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Vehicles
Equipped with a Remanufactured CD4E Automatic Transmission
Shift Control Lever Bolt Torque

LABOR ALLOWANCES

Description	Labor Operation	Labor Time
Torque shift control lever bolt	15S28B	0.2 Hours

PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION

Parts are not required to complete this repair.

ATTACHMENT III

CERTAIN 2001-2008 MODEL YEAR ESCAPE AND MARINER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A REMANUFACTUREd CD4E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — SHIFT CONTROL LEVER BOLT TORQUE

OVERVIEW

Ford remanufactured CD4E transmissions installed in some vehicles, may have a shift control lever bolt that may not have been installed to the proper torque specification. If the shift control lever bolt becomes loose, the shift control lever may disengage from the transmission without warning and the transmission may not respond to operator gear selection. This can result in possible vehicle roll-away, increasing the risk of an injury or crash. Dealers are to torque the shift control lever bolt to the proper specification using a torque wrench.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Place tire chocks at one of the wheels to prevent vehicle movement during repair.
Disconnect the selector lever cable end from the shift control lever at the transmission. See Figure 1.

FIGURE 1

Rotate the shift control lever to the “Low 1” position. See Figure 2.

FIGURE 2

Tighten the shift control lever bolt to 27 Nm (20 lb-ft). See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3

Rotate the shift control lever to the “Park” position. See Figure 4.

FIGURE 4

Reconnect the selector lever cable end to the shift lever. See Figure 1.
Remove the tire chocks.

October 2015

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

Safety Recall Notice 15S28 / NHTSA Recall 15V606
Aviso de Revisión de Seguridad 15S28

Mr. John Sample
123 Main Street
Anywhere, USA 12345

Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): 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 VIN 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?	Our records indicate a Ford remanufactured transmission was installed in your vehicle. It may be possible that the shift control fastener on your transmission may not have been properly torqued. If the fastener becomes loose, the shift control lever may disengage from the transmission without warning and the transmission may not respond to the operator gear selection. This can result in possible vehicle roll-away, increasing the risk of an injury or crash.
What will Ford and your dealer do?	Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to torque the shift control lever bolt to the proper specification 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.
What should you do?	Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date for Recall 15S28. Provide the dealer with your VIN, which 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.
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----escape_sem_autolink_uri:423fe9eb27273b03ff1a34aaf07ef8ac---- 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 15V606.