Safety Recall 21S34 – Battery Cable Wire Harness Inspection – 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator

July 15, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V534000

Unsecured Wire Harness

Damaged electrical wires may short-circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V534

Manufacturer Ford Motor Company

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY

Potential Number of Units Affected 33,298

 

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 3.0L gasoline engines. The wire harness may not be secured properly, possibly contacting the air conditioning (A/C) compressor pulley, and resulting in damage to electrical wires, or the A/C compressor drive belt.

 

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the harness and A/C compressor belt for damage, replacing them as necessary, and install a tie strap to secure the wire harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 30, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is

 

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.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check if your Vehicle has a Recall

 

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AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle	Model Year	Assembly Plant	Build Dates
F-350 Pickup Truck	2020 – 2021	Kentucky Truck	August 6, 2020 through May 15, 2021

 

REASON FOR THIS PROGRAM

In some of the affected vehicles, the rear axle tube may deform and potentially separate at the spring seat interface. This can potentially cause an axle tube leak, vibration while driving, shuddering upon acceleration, and drive shaft separation. A separated drive shaft can result in a loss of motive power while driving and unintended movement when placed in park if parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

SERVICE ACTION

Before demonstration or delivering any new in – stock vehicles involving this recall, dealers are to inspect the rear axle for damage

• If no damage is found, both spring seats will need to be reinforced with a weld per technical instructions.
• If damage is found, axle housing replacement is required. Approximately 1% of affected vehicles will require axle housing replacement. Vehicle with rear axle damage cannot be safely driven until the axle housing is replaced.

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

 

OWNER NOTIFICATION AND MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner letters were mailed September 3, 2021. Dealers should repair any affected vehicles that arrive at their dealerships, whether or not the customer has received a letter.

 

SOLD VEHICLES

• Ford has not issued instructions to stop selling/delivering or driving used vehicles under this safety 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.
• 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.

 

TITLE BRANDED / SALVAGED VEHICLES

Affected title branded and salvaged vehicles are eligible for this service action.

 

OWNER REFUNDS

• This safety recall must still be performed, even if the owner has paid for a previous repair. Claiming a refund will not close the recall on the vehicle.
• Ford Motor Company is offering a refund for owner-paid repairs covered by this recall if the repair was performed prior to the date indicated in the reimbursement plan, which is posted with this bulletin. Owners are directed to seek reimbursement through authorized dealers or, at their option, directly through Ford Motor Company at P.O. Box 6251, Dearborn, MI 481216251.
• Refunds will only be provided for the cost associated with rear axle spring seat damage.

 

RENTAL VEHICLES

If axle housing fails inspection the vehicle is not safe to drive. Rentals will only be reimbursed for the day(s) the axle housing parts are not available. Prior approval is required from the SSSC. Contact the SSSC via the SSSC Web Contact Site for consideration and approval if appropriate. Follow Extended Service Plan (ESP) guidelines for dollar amounts. Rentals are approved for personal use only.

 

PARTS REQUIREMENTS

 

Equipped with 6.7L Diesel Engine and Single Rear Wheel Axle Spring Seat Weld

 

 

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CERTAIN 2020 – 2021 MODEL YEAR F-350 PICKUP TRUCKS  EQUIPPED WITH 6.7L DIESEL ENGINE AND SINGLE REAR WHEEL AXLE — SPRING SEAT WELD

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Disconnect battery cable to ground. Please follow the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures in Section 414-01

2. Position the vehicle on a hoist. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 100-02.

NOTE: This inspection is to be preformed on the Left Hand (LH) and Right Hand (RH) leaf spring seat               brackets.

3. Visually inspect the front of the rear axle housing assembly below the leaf spring seat brackets for damage (dents, creases). See Figure 1.

4. Visually inspect the rear of the leaf seat spring bracket for damage (rips or breaks in the metal or welds) and to see if the leaf spring seat bracket is pulling away from the rear axle housing assembly. See Figure 1.

5. Inspection results. Is there damage present to either the LH or RH rear leaf spring seat brackets?

Yes – Fails visual inspection, the rear axle housing will require replacement. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 205-02A.

No  – Further inspection is required, proceed to Step 6.

NOTE: The welds on the new rear axle housing assembly may be different than what is on the original rear axle housing assembly and will not require rework.

NOTE: Preform this inspection on the LH and RH rear leaf spring seat brackets.

6. Using a 0.002″ feeler gage measure the gap along the rear of the leaf spring seat bracket to the rear axle housing assembly. Is the gap greater than 0.002″ on either the LH or RH side? See Figure 2.

YES – The rear axle housing will require replacement. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 205-02A.

NO  – Proceed to the Leaf Spring Seat Bracket Interface Weld Repair Procedure on Page 3.

 

LEAF SPRING SEAT BRACKET INTERFACE WELD REPAIR PROCEDURE

1. Remove the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) sensor bolt and position the ABS sensor aside. See Figure 3.

• Torque: 177 lb.in (20 Nm)

2. Disengage the ABS sensor wire harness pushpin retainers and position the ABS sensor wire harness aside. See Figure 3.

3. Disengage the rear axle housing assembly vent hose. Remove the brake line bracket bolt and position the brake line bracket assembly aside. See Figure 4.

• Torque: 159 lb.in (18 Nm)

4. Remove the brake line bracket bolt and position aside the brake line bracket. See Figure 5.

• Torque: 159 lb. in (18 N m)

5. Position a safety stand at the front of the vehicle.

6. Using a suitable lifting device support the rear axle housing assembly. See Figure 6.

7. Remove and discard the lower rear shock absorber nuts and bolts. See Figure 7.

• Torque: 111 lb.ft (150 Nm)

NOTICE: The rear axle must be supported before removing the rear spring U-bolts.

NOTE: The rear spring U-bolts need to be tightened in a cross pattern with the vehicle resting on the wheels and tires (curb height).

8. With the axle assembly supported with a suitable lifting device, remove and discard the rear spring U-bolts and U-bolt nuts and remove the U-bolt mounting plates. See Figure 8.

• Torque:

Stage 1:  48 lb.ft (65 Nm)

Stage 2:  96 lb.ft (130 Nm)

9. Using a suitable tool, remove paint from BOTH SIDES of the leaf spring seat bracket and the outside of the shock bracket holes. Repeat on the other side. See Figure 9.

10. If needed, blow off the joint with air, or wipe with rag or brush.

11. Verify weld setting recommendations and ground attachments.

• Axle tube thickness is 4mm.

• Wire size is 0.035″.

• Follow the settings provided with the welding machine to be used.

12. Protect surrounding areas and leaf spring seat bracket mounting holes to prevent splatter damage. Apply anti-splatter spray as needed. See Figure 10.

NOTICE: To weld the left side leaf spring bracket, attach the ground to the left side shock bracket. To weld the right side leaf spring bracket, attach the ground to the right side shock bracket. Failure to do so may cause damage to the rear axle internal components.

13. Apply weld to leaf spring seat bracket area. Inspect for weld coverage and spatter. See Figure 11.

NOTE: Fill in existing weld to achieve 360 degree coverage around the leaf spring seat bracket.

14. Remove protective covers. See Figure 10.

15. Clean new welds to allow for proper paint adhesion.

16. Attach masking to prevent paint intrusion into the leaf spring seat bracket mounting holes.

17. Repaint welded area and shock bracket area with PM-13-A Anti-Corrosion Coating.

18. Remove masking.

19. Check for proper paint coverage.

20. Reverse removal steps to reinstall rear axle housing assembly.

NOTE: The following step only applies if U-Bolt # HC3Z-5705-E is used on non-Tremor vehicles.

21. After torquing the U-bolts, measure 13 mm (0.51 in) from the top of the U-bolt nut towards the end of the U-bolt and cut the U-bolt. Make sure to remove any burs, debris or sharp edges from the U-bolt after cutting. See Figure 12.

NOTE: Left Hand (LH) shown, Right Hand (RH) similar.

 

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FORD MOTOR COMPANY PROVIDES DETAILS ON THREE SAFETY RECALLS IN NORTH AMERICA

JUL 16, 2021 | DEARBORN, MICH.

 

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2 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
LINCOLN	AVIATOR	2020-2021

 

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8 Associated Documents

ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-21V534-9924.pdf 84.855KB

RCONL-21V534-9924

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-21V534-7938.PDF 214.143KB

RCLRPT-21V534-7938

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-21V534-1567.pdf 645.49KB

RCAK-21V534-1567

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – Dealer Notification re NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD Safety Recall 21S31 Certain 2020 – 2021 Model Year F-350 Pickup Trucks Equipped with 6.7L Diesel Engine and Single Rear Wheel Axle Supplement #4 Spring Seat Weld

RCMN-21V534-6576.pdf 3699.352KB

RCMN-21V534-6576

 

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ISSUED Renotification Notice

RCRN-21V534-3354.pdf 378.023KB

RCRN-21V534-3354

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2021-4

RCLQRT-21V534-8906.PDF 211.236KB

RCLQRT-21V534-8906

 

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Recall 573 Report

RCLRPT-21V534-4350.PDF 214.354KB

RCLRPT-21V534-4350

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2021-3

RCLQRT-21V534-2600.PDF 211.128KB

RCLQRT-21V534-2600

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=21V534&docType=RCL

 

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Last update on 2022-08-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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