The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS NOT FULLY ATTACHED TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET, THE SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY CAN COME OUT OF THE BRACKET. THE VEHICLE OPERATOR WOULD THEN NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION FROM ONE OF THE DRIVE GEAR POSITIONS INTO THE PARK POSITION EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR WOULD INDICATE "PARK."
The risk
THE CONDITION WOULD NOT ALLOW A DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE PARK POSITION OR AFFECT PROPER NEUTRAL START SWITCH OPERATION. UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD OCCUR IF THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL MAKE THE PROPER ATTACHMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL CABLE TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET AND ADD A TIE STRAP TO THAT CONNECTION.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Expedition | 1997, 1998 |
| Ford F-150 | 1997, 1998 |
| Ford F-250 | 1997, 1998 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1998 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Expedition | 1997 | 853 | 7 |
| Ford Expedition | 1998 | 836 | 5 |
| Ford F-150 | 1997 | 2,758 | 14 |
| Ford F-150 | 1998 | 1,381 | 8 |
| Ford F-250 | 1997 | 304 | 10 |
| Ford F-250 | 1998 | 56 | 6 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1998 | 192 | 5 |
Other power train recalls in 1997
13 of the 268 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1997 concerned the power train; FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed 963 campaigns in all.
| 97V233000 16 Dec 1997 | KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP. |
| 97V204000 13 Nov 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V147000 9 Sept 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V090002 2 Sept 1997 | FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION |
| 97V097000 9 Jun 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V091000 28 May 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V090001 28 May 1997 | INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE |
| 97V084000 5 May 1997 | CHRYSLER CORPORATION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1997