Recall Information

Description

Certain 2014 model year Ford transit connect vehicles were shipped to puerto rico with a european brake reservoir pictogram cap label which does not contain the text prescribed by fmvss 135, section 5.4.3.

Safety Risk

Without this warning, someone may use the wrong replacement brake fluid, resulting in damaged seals and potentially increased stopping distances, which could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

Vehicles that are operated in high-corrosion environments associated with exposure to road salt may experience corrosion of the steering gear Motor attachment bolts. This may result in the steering gear Motor becoming loose or detaching from the gear housing, although the steering gear Motor will not separate from the vehicle. Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.

Safety Risk

Steering gear Motor detachment from the gear housing would result in a loss of power steering assist, but would not result in steering loss or separation of the Motor from the vehicle. The mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the road is maintained at all times. The steering system will default to manual steering mode, allowing the vehicle to be steered in a safe and controlled manner. The amount of assist supplied is inversely proportional to vehicle speed, with the highest levels of assist provided at lower vehicle speeds. Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the steering gear Motor attachment bolts and replace the steering gear assembly if any bolts are missing or broken.

Next Steps

Description

On your vehicle, it may be possible the transmission shifter cable bushing is damaged or missing.

Safety Risk

A damaged or missing bushing could prevent the shifter from moving the transmission into the intended gear position and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. The transmission may not be in the park position, even though the shifter position indicates that the vehicle was shifted to park. Exiting a vehicle without the transmission in the park position and without the application of the parking brake may allow the vehicle to roll, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace the shifter cable bushing and protective cap free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

Affected cargo van vehicles are equipped with sliding door plastic panels that may have improper bond strength between the plastic panel and the paint primer. A plastic panel with an improper bond to the sliding door may result in noise, water leak, or separation of the plastic panel from the vehicle while driving, potentially increasing the risk of an accident or injury.

Safety Risk

A plastic panel with an improper bond to the sliding door may result in noise, water leak, or separation of the plastic panel from the vehicle while driving, potentially increasing the risk of an accident or injury. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to resolve the condition by removing and reinstalling the sliding door plastic panels free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

When starting the vehicle, a hardware software incompatibility issue may cause customers to experience an inoperative instrument cluster, blank multiple functional display mfd, and nonfunctional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights are required at vehicle startup as specified in section 5.3.1 of fmvss 101 and other applicable fmvss requirements.ford is not aware of any reports of any accident or injury related to this condition.

Safety Risk

An inoperative ip cluster and multiple functional display may prevent activation of certain warning chimes, messages and warning lights at vehicle start-up, as required in section 5.3.1 of fmvss 101 and other applicable fmvss requirements, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to reprogram the instrument cluster free of charge.

Next Steps

Description

On your vehicle, it may be possible for the pawl spring tab inside one or more of the front door latches to break. This condition will typically prevent the door from latching. In certain situations, where the door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch while driving.

Safety Risk

If you are able to latch the door after repeated attempts to shut the door, the door may potentially unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace the front left and right door latches, free of charge parts and labor. Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date for recall 23S36. Provide the dealer with your vin, which is printed near your name at the beginning of this letter. Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving your vehicle under this safety recall. You should contact your dealer for an appointment to have your vehicle remedied as soon as practicable.

Next Steps

Description

On your vehicle, the panoramic roof glass panel may not be properly bonded to the vehicle, which may result in wind noise, water leaks, and in some cases, separation from the vehicle.

Safety Risk

This may result in separation of the entire panoramic roof panel from the vehicle while driving increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicles. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to remove, clean, and reinstall the panoramic roof glass free of charge (parts and labor).

Next Steps

Description

Affected cargo van vehicles are equipped with upper seat belt bolts that may have been improperly torqued. Seat belt anchorage fasteners that do not meet installation torque specifications may loosen over time in these vehicles, which could cause them to not function as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Safety Risk

Seat belt anchorage fasteners that do not meet installation torque specifications may loosen over time in these vehicles, which could cause them to not function as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.

Remedy

Dealers will remove the original seat belt fasteners and replace them with properly torqued fasteners. In addition, cargo tie down fasteners that do not meet installation torque may also loosen over time, presenting a potential customer satisfaction issue. As part of the service remedy dealers will also replace and properly torque the cargo tie down fasteners. In accordance with part 573.13D1, Ford is excluding reimbursement for costs incurred by owners for repair of this concern because fords original warranty program would provide for a free repair for this concern for customers. Ford will upload a copy of the notification letters to dealers on nhtsas safercar.gov website when available.

Next Steps

Description

On some vehicles, contamination due to improper nickel plating of certain subcomponents within the fuel pump, may cause excessive pump friction, potentially resulting in an inoperative fuel pump. Ford is aware of one accident allegation that may be related to this condition.

Safety Risk

If the fuel pump becomes inoperable due to this condition, the vehicle operator may experience a no-start condition or a stall without warning or the ability to restart the vehicle. An engine stall without warning while driving can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. If you have not yet contacted your dealer to schedule service for this recall, please contact your dealer without delay to schedule an appointment. Your dealer will replace your vehicles fuel pump at no charge to you.

Next Steps

Description

On your vehicle, the panoramic roof glass panel may not be properly bonded to the vehicle, which may result in wind noise, water leaks, and in some cases, separation from the vehicle.

Safety Risk

Separation of the entire panoramic roof panel from the vehicle while driving increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to remove, clean, and reinstall your vehicles panoramic roof glass panel free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

On your vehicle, localized overheating of the engine cylinder head may cause the cylinder head to crack.

Safety Risk

A cylinder head crack may cause an oil leak that may result in a fire in the engine compartment.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to install a coolant level sensor system free of charge (parts and labor).

Next Steps

Description

A door latch with a broken pawl spring tab typically results in a "door will not close" condition. Should the customer be able to latch the door, there is a potential that the door may unlatch while driving. Ford is aware of two allegations of injury (soreness) resulting from an unlatched door bouncing back when the customer attempted to close it, and one accident allegation when an unlatched door swung open and struck the adjacent vehicle while the driver was pulling into a parking space.

Safety Risk

A door latch with a broken pawl spring tab typically results in a "door will not close" condition. Should the customer be able to latch the door, there is a potential the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace all four door latches free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

Vehicles that are operated in high-corrosion environments associated with long-term exposure to road salt may experience corrosion underneath the fuel tank mounting reinforcement brackets at the weld seam that may cause a small hole to form in the fuel tank resulting in a fuel vapor leak or liquid fuel leak.

Safety Risk

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could potentially result in a fire.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. If you have not yet contacted your dealer to schedule service for this recall, please call your dealer without delay to schedule an appointment. At no charge to you, your dealer will inspect and either clean and treat or replace the fuel tank on your vehicle.

Next Steps

Description

Your vehicle was previously repaired under safety recall 15S16 or 16S30. During that repair, your vehicles door latches were to be replaced to help reduce the risk of doors not closing or doors opening while driving. It is possible that one or more of your door latches was not replaced or may not have been replaced correctly.

Safety Risk

If a door latch was not replaced, there is still a risk that the pawl spring tab inside the door latch could break. This condition will typically prevent the door from latching. In certain situations, where the door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury

Remedy

The door latch date codes in your vehicle need to be inspected to verify that the previous door latch recall repair was completed as intended. For your convenience and to encourage the continued social distancing requirements by many state and local governments related to COVID-19, Ford is providing you with the option to complete this simple inspection yourself using the attached self-inspection sheet. By utilizing this option, you should not need to take your vehicle to your dealer unless your vehicle is exhibiting door latching concerns door will not latch or opens while driving. In the unlikely event that the system cannot confirm the latches on your vehicle based on your input, or if your vehicle is exhibiting door latching concerns, you will need to take your vehicle to your dealership for additional inspection and/or repairs. If you do not wish to complete this inspection yourself, your dealer will inspect your vehicle for you

Next Steps

Description

A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a "door will not close" condition. A door that opens while driving increases the risk of injury. As of 9/2/16, ford's investigation into this concern has identified a total of one alleged accident and three alleged injuries that Ford believes may be related. One alleged injury was to an occupant's arm from a door that reportedly opened and bounced back. Another injury involved a driver who alleged her hand was injured when trying to grab a door that opened. The third injury was to an occupant who allegedly received scratches from a rear door that opened while driving. Ford has no further information relating to these reports. The alleged accident occurred after the driver's door reportedly opened in a parking lot and resulted in bumper damage, but Ford has no additional information.

Safety Risk

A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a "door will not close" condition. A door that opens while driving increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace the side door latches free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps

Description

Affected vehicles with 2.5L engines may have misinstalled fuel and vapor lines in the engine compartment, potentially resulting in contact between the two lines. Over time, this contact, along with vibration and road contamination, may cause abrasion and wear of the fuel line, potentially resulting in a leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Safety Risk

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.ford is not aware of any fires, accidents or injuries related to this condition.

Remedy

Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the fuel and vapor line for proper routing and replace if necessary. These services will be performed free of charge parts and labor.

Next Steps