Safety Recall 17S23 – Electronic Power Assist Steering Heat Shield Fastener Inspection – 2017 Ford Explorer & Taurus

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NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V530
Manufacturer Ford Motor Company
Components STEERING
Potential Number of Units Affected 253

 

Loss of Power Assisted Steering

If the heat shield detaches, the steering gear may overheat, increasing the steering effort required by the driver, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.

 

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus and Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan vehicles. The steering gear heat shield fasteners may corrode, allowing the heat shield to detach.

 

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers to inspect and replace the heat shield fasteners as needed, free of charge.

The recall began on September 13, 2017.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 17S23.

 

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

 


August 30, 2017

TO: All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT: NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 17S23
Certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus, Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan Vehicles
Electronic Power Assist Steering Heat Shield Fastener Inspection

 

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle Model Year Assembly Plant Build Dates
Explorer 2017 Chicago May 7, 2017 through May 10, 2017
Taurus 2017 Chicago May 7, 2017 through May 8, 2017
Police Interceptor Utility 2017 Chicago May 7, 2017 through May 8, 2017
Police Interceptor Sedan 2017 Chicago May 7, 2017 through May 8, 2017

 

Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS and FSA VIN Lists.

 

REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL

In some of the affected vehicles, the fasteners used to secure the electronic power assist steering (EPAS) heat shield may not have sufficient corrosion protection.  If the fasteners do not have sufficient corrosion protection, they may not retain the heat shield over time, exposing the steering gear to higher than expected temperatures.  If the steering gear connectors melt, the driver may experience loss of assist accompanied by the fault message “SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW” in the instrument cluster.  Loss of power steering assist while driving would result in higher steering efforts, especially at lower speeds.

 

SERVICE ACTION

Before demonstrating or delivering any new in-stock vehicles involved in this recall, dealers are to inspect and, if necessary, replace the EPAS heat shield fasteners following the dealer bulletin technical information.  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 September 11, 2017.  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 $21,000 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

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.

Sincerely,

 

Michael A. Berardi


ATTACHMENT I

NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 17S23
Certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus, Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan Vehicles
Electronic Power Assist Steering Heat Shield Fastener Inspection

 

OASIS ACTIVATION

OASIS will be activated on August 30, 2017.

 

FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION

FSA VIN Lists will be available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com on August 30, 2017.  Owner names and addresses will be available by September 22, 2017.

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.

 

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.
  • Dealers are to prioritize repairs of customer vehicles over repairs of new and used vehicle inventory.

 

STOCK VEHICLES

  • Correct all affected units in your new vehicle inventory before delivery.
  • Use OASIS to identify any affected vehicles in your used vehicle inventory.

 

DEALER-OPERATED RENTAL VEHICLES

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act law effective June 2016 prohibits a rental company from selling, renting or leasing vehicles subject to a safety or compliance recall.  Please consult your legal counsel for legal advice.

 

TITLE BRANDED / SALVAGED VEHICLES

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

 

ADDITIONAL REPAIR (LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS)

Additional repairs identified as necessary to complete the FSA should be managed as follows:

  • For vehicles within new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, follow existing warranty and policy guidelines for related damage claims. No SSSC approval is required for these vehicles:
    • Ford vehicles – 3 years or 36,000 miles
  • For vehicles outside new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, submit an Approval Request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to completing the repair.

 

OWNER REFUNDS    

Refunds are not approved for this program.

 

RENTAL VEHICLES  

Rental vehicles are 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 17S23 is the sub code.
  • Additional labor and/or parts must be claimed as related damage on a separate repair line from the FSA.

ATTACHMENT II

NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Safety Recall 17S23
Certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus, Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan Vehicles
Electronic Power Assist Steering Heat Shield Fastener Inspection

 

LABOR ALLOWANCES

Description Labor Operation Labor Time
Inspect EPAS heat shield fasteners – no repair required 17S23A 0.3 Hours
Inspect EPAS heat shield fasteners – replace one to three of the heat shield fasteners 17S23B 0.6 Hours

 

PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION

Part Number Description Order Quantity Claim Quantity
W505252-S439 Safety Recall 17S23 - Electronic Power Assist Steering Heat Shield Fastener Inspection - 2017 Ford Explorer & Taurus | small light Heat shield fasteners (1 package of 4 fasteners, up to 3 fasteners may be required) 1 1

 

The DOR/COR number for this recall is 51091.

Order your parts through normal order processing channels.  To guarantee the shortest delivery time, an emergency order for parts must be placed.

 

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 2017 EXPLORER, TAURUS, POLICE INTERCEPTOR UTILITY AND SEDAN VEHICLES — ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST STEERING HEAT SHIELD FASTENER INSPECTION

 

INSPECTION                                                          

OVERVIEW

In some of the affected vehicles, the fasteners used to secure the Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS) heat shield may not have sufficient corrosion protection.  If the fasteners do not have sufficient corrosion protection, they may not retain the heat shield over time, exposing the steering gear to higher than expected temperatures.  If the steering gear connectors melt, the driver may experience loss of assist accompanied by the fault message “SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW” in the instrument cluster. Loss of power steering assist while driving would result in higher steering efforts, especially at lower speeds. Dealers are to inspect and replace, if necessary, the EPAS heat shield fasteners following the Service Procedure below.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Recommended Tool List:

Flex Head Ratchet Wrench 8mm
1/4″ Drive Short and Deep Well Socket 8mm
1/4″ Drive Universal Joint Socket 8mm
1/4″ Air Ratchet
1/4″ Flex Head Ratchet
1/4″ Drive Torque Wrench
1/4″ Drive Extension 12 in (304 mm)
Adjustable Torque Wrench Adapter
1/2″ Drive Deep Well Socket 19mm
1/2″ Drive Torque Stick 19mm
1/2″ Drive Impact Gun

 

  1. Remove the right front wheel and tire. Please follow the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedure in Section 204-04A.
  2. Inspect all three steering gear heat shield fasteners. Are all three fasteners gray in color? See Figure 1.
    • Yes – No repair required. Re-install the right front wheel and tire. Please follow the WSM procedure in Section 204-04A.
    • No – Proceed to Step 3.
  3. If equipped, remove the under body shield retainers and the under body shield.
  4. Replace each of the three highlighted fasteners that are not gray in color. See Figure 1.
    1. Tighten the new steering gear heat shield fasteners to 9 Nm (80 lb-in).

NOTE: Access to the fasteners on some vehicles may be limited, depending on engine configuration. Use of a universal joint socket and flex head wrench are recommended.

highlighted fastenersFIGURE 1

 

  1. If necessary, re-install the under body shield.
  2. Re-install the right front wheel and tire. Please follow the WSM procedure in Section 204-04A.

September 2017

 

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

 

Safety Recall Notice 17S23 / NHTSA Recall 17V-530
Aviso de Revisión de Seguridad 17S23

 

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? On your vehicle, the fasteners used to secure the electronic power assist steering heat shield may not have proper corrosion protection.
What is the risk? If the fasteners do not have proper corrosion protection, they may not retain the heat shield over time, exposing the steering gear to higher than expected temperatures. If the steering gear connectors melt, you may experience loss of assist accompanied by the fault message “SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW” in the instrument cluster.  Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a crash.
What will Ford and your dealer do? Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect and, if necessary, replace the electronic power assist steering heat shield fasteners 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. Additional time may be required to allow the engine to cool prior to performing this repair. In addition, your vehicle will require an inspection to determine if parts need to be ordered.
What should you do? Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date for Recall 17S23.  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.

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.

NOTE:  You can receive information about Recalls and Customer Satisfaction Programs through our FordPass App.  The app can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play.  In addition there are other features such as reserving and paying for parking in certain locations and controlling certain functions on your vehicle (lock or unlock doors, remote start) if it is equipped to allow control.

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 have questions or concerns, please contact our Ford Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332 and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you.  If you wish to contact us through the Internet, our address is:  www.Fordowner.com.

For the hearing impaired call 1-800-232-5952 (TDD).  Representatives are available Monday through Friday:  8:00AM – 8:00PM(Eastern Time).

FLEET OWNERS:  If you have questions or concerns, please contact our

Fleet Customer Information Center at 1-800-34-FLEET, choose Option #3, and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you.  If you wish to contact us through the Internet, our address is:  www.fleet.ford.com.

Representatives are available Monday through Friday:  8:00AM – 8:00PM (Eastern Time).

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: 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov.  Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 17V-530.

Para asistencia en Español Visite nuestro sitio web para ver este anuncio en Español al siguiente dirección: https://es.owner.ford.com/recall.

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.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Ford Customer Service Division


https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RCMN-17V530-4750.pdf

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