Safety Recall 18S34 – Passenger Airbag Module Replacement – 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan & 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V775
Manufacturer Ford Motor Company
Components AIR BAGS
Potential Number of Units Affected 215

 

Air Bag may not Fully Inflate during Deployment

If the air bag does not inflate as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

 

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment of the passenger air bag, the bracket that secures the air bag inflator to the module housing may deform, allowing the gas that inflates the air bag to leak out.

 

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 18S34.

 

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

 

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November 2, 2018

TO: All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT: Safety Recall 18S34
Certain 2010 Fusion and 2010-2012 MKZ Vehicles
Passenger Airbag Module Replacement

 

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle	Model Year	Assembly Plant	Build Dates
MKZ	2010-2012	Hermosillo	March 10, 2009 through July 16, 2012
Fusion	2010	Hermosillo	February 26, 2010 through June 21, 2010

 

This safety recall affects less than 250 vehicles listed above. Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS and FSA VIN Lists. Additional VINs may be added as vehicles are identified as having affected passenger airbag modules installed.

 

REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL

In all of the affected vehicles, a passenger airbag module with a part number of AE5Z-54044A74-C or AH6Z-54044A74-C was previously installed while completing FSA 16S26, 17S01, or 18S01. The inflator in the passenger airbag module may not remain fully supported during airbag deployment in the event of a crash. This could result in incomplete airbag inflation and may increase the risk of an injury.

 

SERVICE ACTION

Dealers are to replace the passenger airbag module. This service must be performed on all affected vehicles at no charge to the vehicle owner.

NOTE: All replaced passenger airbag modules must be returned for analysis.

In addition, dealers are to identify any vehicles serviced at your dealership that had affected part number AE5Z-54044A74-C or AH6Z-54044A74-C installed as part of FSA 16S26, 17S01, or 18S01. It is important that all affected vehicles are identified and receive this service action. If dealership records indicate that an affected part was installed, and the vehicle is not identified in OASIS as being affected under this FSA, dealers should:

• Submit a VIN-specific web contact to the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) under 18S34 using contact type ‘Non-Involved’. Please provide repair order documentation showing the use of the part on the vehicle.
• Contact the owner and arrange a service date.

 

OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner letters are expected to be mailed the week of November 12, 2018. 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: 2010 Fusion Technical Information
Attachment IV: 2010-2012 MKZ Technical Information
Attachment V: Airbag Module Core Return Process

 

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,

 

David J. Johnson

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ATTACHMENT I

Safety Recall 18S34
Certain 2010 Fusion and 2010-2012 MKZ Vehicles
Passenger Airbag Module Replacement

 

OASIS ACTIVATION

OASIS will be activated on November 1, 2018.

 

FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION

FSA VIN Lists will be available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com by November 1, 2018. Owner names and addresses will be available by November 23, 2018.

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

• Ford has not issued instructions to stop selling/delivering or driving used vehicles under this safety recall. Owners should contact their dealer for an appointment to have their vehicles remedied as soon as practicable. Owners can continue to safely drive their vehicles if they follow all instructions and warnings contained in the recall notice.
• 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

• 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.

 

OWNER REFUNDS

Refunds are not approved for this program.

 

RENTAL VEHICLES

With proper dealer parts ordering and service appointment scheduling, rental vehicles should not be required. If a customer requests a rental vehicle while their vehicle is being repaired, dealers are preapproved for up to 4 days for a comparable rental vehicle. Rentals will be reimbursed at a dollar rate of up to $44 per day for Ford owners and $55 per day for Lincoln owners.

Approval for more than 4 rental days is required from the SSSC via the SSSC Web Contact Site. The SSSC must be provided total rental and repair costs, including parts and labor, to approve the full RO line amount.

 

ADDITIONAL REPAIR (LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS)

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

• For related damage and access time requirements, refer to the Warranty and Policy Manual / Section 6 – Ford & Lincoln Program Policies / General Information & Special Circumstances for FSA’s / Related Damage.
• Submit an Approval Request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to completing the repair.

 

CLAIMS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

• Claim Entry: Enter claims using Dealer Management System (DMS) or One Warranty Solution (OWS) online.
  • When entering claims, select claim type 31: Field Service Action. The FSA number (18S34) is the sub code.
  • For additional claims preparation and submission information, refer to the Recall and Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) Repairs in the OWS User Guide.

NOTE:  The serial number of the new passenger airbag module must be provided to Ford for the claim to be processed. The Technical Information in this bulletin advises technicians to document the serial number from the new airbag Module on the repair order. The passenger airbag module serial number is 13 characters. Enter the serial number of the new airbag Module or module in the claim as follows:

• For claims submitted using DMS or OWS on-line, enter the serial numbers in the Test Results Section.
• Select DTC REQUIRED MEASUREMENT OR RESULTS from the drop down list. § Enter serial number in the CODE field without spaces or dashes.
• Related Damage/Additional labor and/or parts: Must be claimed as Related Damage on a separate repair line from the FSA with same claim type and sub code as described in Claim Entry above. IMPORTANT: Click the Related Damage Indicator radio button.
• Rental Vehicle Reimbursement o If the customer is already in a rental vehicle as part of FSA 16S26, 17S01, or 18S01, follow the rental claiming guidelines in that respective FSA Dealer Bulletin.
  • If the customer is not already in a rental vehicle under another FSA, dealers are preapproved for up to 4 days of rental vehicle reimbursement. Approval for more than 4 rental days under FSA 18S34 is required from the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) and can be requested after repairs are completed. The SSSC must be provided total rental and repair costs, including parts and labor, to approve the full line amount.
  • Rental expenses must be claimed on the same claim, and the same line as the repair. Enter the total amount of the rental expense under Misc. Expense Code “RENTAL”.

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ATTACHMENT II

Safety Recall 18S34
Certain 2010 Fusion and 2010-2012 MKZ Vehicles
Passenger Airbag Module Replacement

 

LABOR ALLOWANCES

Description	Labor Operation	Labor Time
Replace Passenger Airbag Module – Fusion vehicles	18S34B	2.8 Hours
Replace Passenger Airbag Module – MKZ vehicles	18S34C	3.0 Hours

 

PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION

This safety recall affects less than 250 vehicles. To ensure an equitable distribution of service parts, the SSSC will proactively place part orders for affected vehicles to dealers that previously installed the affected passenger airbag module. These part orders will include all required parts and can be viewed in DOES II. These orders are expected to start shipping by November 12, 2018.

If your dealer is not included in the proactive part orders or additional parts are needed, submit a VIN-specific Part Order contact via the SSSC Web Contact Site.

Description	Order Quantity	Claim Quantity	Part Number
Passenger Airbag Module – Fusion vehicles only	1	1	AE5Z-54044A74-D
Passenger Airbag Module – MKZ vehicles only	1	1	AH6Z-54044A74-D
A-Pillar Trim Clip	1	2	W711044-S403
			or
			W711044-S439
Steering Column Shaft-to-Steering Gear Bolt	1	1	W712961-S439

 

NOTE: Passenger airbag module part number AE5Z-54044A74-D includes a white airbag cushion sheet in the packaging. This sheet is not used during this service procedure and can be discarded.

Dealers will be notified via a DOES II communication if circumstances warrant a change in part supply strategy and when open ordering resumes.

 

DEALER PRICE  PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN

For latest prices, refer to DOES II.

It is critical that all original passenger airbag inflators removed from vehicles are not allowed back into the market. Therefore, all passenger airbag inflators under this safety recall have been assigned a $100 core charge to ensure they will be properly returned.  

The Regional Core Recover Center (RCRC), including dealers in Alaska and Hawaii, will pick up these airbag inflators along with all other core returns during your normal core retrieval visit.

For additional information, refer to the attachment: Airbag Module Core Return Process.

IMPORTANT: Any new stock of part numbers AE5Z-54044A74-C or AH6Z-54044A74-C previously utilized under FSA 16S26, 17S01, and 18S01 must no longer be installed in vehicles, and can be returned following the instructions in EFC06992, published October 18, 2018 on FMCDealer.

 

EXCESS STOCK RETURN

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

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ATTACHMENT III

CERTAIN 2010 FUSION VEHICLES — PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE REPLACEMENT

 

OVERVIEW

In all of the affected vehicles, a passenger airbag module was previously installed while completing FSA 16S26, 17S01, or 18S01. The inflator in the passenger airbag module may not remain fully supported during airbag deployment in the event of a crash. This could result in incomplete airbag inflation and may increase the risk of an injury. Dealers are to replace the passenger airbag module.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

NOTE: The following repair instructions only apply to 2010 Fusion vehicles. Repair instructions are published in separate attachments for other vehicle lines included in this recall as parts become available for those vehicles.

NOTE: The parts used in this safety recall may physically appear to be identical, but they have differing operating characteristics. It is crucial that parts are not interchanged or substituted.

WARNING: Failure to follow the instructions and warnings in the Workshop Manual (WSM) may result in injury.

NOTE: If the Airbag Readiness light indicates no Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) faults are present, it is not necessary to follow the WSM SRS Depowering and Repowering steps. Turn the ignition to OFF and wait 1 minute, then it is safe to proceed with airbag inflator replacement.

NOTE: The ignition must remain OFF until this service procedure is completed.

1. Record the 13 character serial number of the new airbag module on the repair order. See Figure 1.

FIGURE 1

 

2. Remove the left hand and right hand A-Pillar trim panels. Reuse the LH and RH trim panels for this repair. See Figure 2.
   • To prevent damage to the trim panel, grasp the trim panel approximately 5 inches from the top and pull downward toward the door, then rotate the panel inward toward the windshield to slide it off of the a-pillar clip.

NOTE: Do not bend or flex the trim panels during removal to avoid stress marks from occurring.

NOTE: To view a video demonstration of this repair procedure, click the video icon. 

FIGURE 2

 

3. Remove and discard the top A-Pillar clip from the body. Retain the screw for re-use. See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3

 

4. Remove the passenger airbag module. Please refer to Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures in section 501-20B.
   • Remove the instrument panel crossmember-to-airbag module bracket. See Figure 4.
   • Torque to 80 lb. in.

WARNING: Do not allow any debris on or around the instrument panel once the airbag is removed.

FIGURE 4

 

5. Install the new airbag module and instrument panel. Please follow WSM procedures in section 501-20B.
   • Install the instrument panel crossmember-to-airbag module bracket. See Figure 4.
6. Install the new A-Pillar trim panel clip onto the trim panel. See Figure 5.

NOTE: If the new A-Pillar trim panel clips are not equipped with a screw installed, re-use the screw from the original clip from step 3. Install the screw into the new clip by hand.

• Torque to 9 Ib.in.

FIGURE 5

 

7. Install the LH and RH A-Pillar trim panels by aligning the attachment clips to the holes and snapping the new trim panel in place.
8. Package the replaced airbag module in the new part box and provide to the appropriate dealership personnel for part returns.

NOTE: The new passenger airbag module includes a white airbag cushion sheet in the packaging. This sheet is not used during this service procedure and can be discarded.

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ATTACHMENT IV

CERTAIN 2010 — 2012 MKZ VEHICLES — PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE REPLACEMENT

 

OVERVIEW

In all of the affected vehicles, a passenger airbag module was previously installed while completing FSA 16S26, 17S01, or 18S01. The inflator in the passenger airbag module may not remain fully supported during airbag deployment in the event of a crash. This could result in incomplete airbag inflation and may increase the risk of an injury. Dealers are to replace the passenger airbag module.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

NOTE: The following repair instructions only apply to 2010 – 2012 MKZ vehicles. Repair instructions are published in separate attachments for other vehicle lines included in this recall as parts become available for those vehicles.

NOTE: The parts used in this safety recall may physically appear to be identical, but they have differing operating characteristics. It is crucial that parts are not interchanged or substituted.

WARNING: Failure to follow the instructions and warnings in the Workshop Manual (WSM) may result in injury.

NOTE: If the Airbag Readiness light indicates no Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) faults are present, it is not necessary to follow the WSM SRS Depowering and Repowering steps. Turn the ignition to OFF and wait 1 minute, then it is safe to proceed with airbag inflator replacement.

NOTE: The ignition must remain OFF until this service procedure is completed.

1. Record the 13 character serial number of the new airbag module on the repair order. See Figure 1.

FIGURE 1

 

2. Remove the left hand and right hand A-Pillar trim panels. Reuse the LH and RH trim panels for this repair. See Figure 2.
   • To prevent damage to the trim panel, grasp the trim panel approximately 5 inches from the top and pull downward toward the door, then rotate the panel inward toward the windshield to slide it off of the a-pillar clip.

NOTE: Do not bend or flex the trim panels during removal to avoid stress marks from occurring.

NOTE: MKZ A-Pillar trim is wrapped in fabric, be sure to protect the fabric from stains when removing.

NOTE: To view a video demonstration of this repair procedure, click the video icon. 

FIGURE 2

 

3. Remove and discard the top A-Pillar clip from the body. Retain the screw for re-use. See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3

 

4. Remove the passenger airbag module. Please refer to Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures in section 501-20B.
   • Remove the instrument panel crossmember-to-airbag module bracket. See Figure 4.
   • Torque to 80 lb. in.

FIGURE 4

 

5. If a white airbag cushion sheet has been installed previously, remove the bracket from the instrument
   
   panel and discard the sheet. See Figure 5.
   • Torque to 80 Ib.in.

FIGURE 5

 

6. Reinstall the airbag module bracket onto the instrument panel. See Figure 5.
7. Install the new airbag module and instrument panel. Please follow WSM procedures in section 501-20B.
   • Install the instrument panel crossmember-to-airbag module bracket. See Figure 4.
8. Install the new A-Pillar trim panel clip onto the trim panel. See Figure 7.

NOTE: If the new A-Pillar trim panel clips are not equipped with a screw installed, re-use the screw from the original clip from step 3. Install the screw into the new clip by hand.

• Torque to 9 Ib.in.

FIGURE 7

 

9. Install the LH and RH A-Pillar trim panels by aligning the attachment clips to the holes and snapping the new trim panel in place.
10. Package the replaced airbag module in the new part box and provide to the appropriate dealership personnel for part returns.

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ATTACHMENT V

 

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18S34

November 2, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V775-3169.pdf

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

November 14, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCAK-18V775-7301.pdf

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=18V775&docType=RCL

 

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