The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES AND LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. THE LUG NUTS ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT CREATE SUFFICIENT CLAMP LOAD ALLOWING WHEEL MOVEMENT IN RELATION TO THE HUB/ROTOR MOUNTING SURFACE.
The risk
THIS CAN RESULT IN THE LOOSENING OF LUG NUTS, STUD FATIGUE FAILURE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A WHEEL SEPARATION FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE RECEIVING TWO NOTIFICATIONS. THE FIRST NOTIFICATION, WHICH BEGAN IN MAY 1998, WILL PROVIDE AN INTERIM REPAIR PROCEDURE UNTIL PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THIS INTERIM PROCEDURE CAN BE COMPLETED BY OWNERS OR THEIR DEALERS. IT SPECIFIES THAT THE LUG NUT TORQUE MUST BE VERIFIED TO BE 100 LBS. THEN THE LUG NUTS NEED TO BE TIGHTENED AN ADDITIONAL 1/8 TO 1/4 TURN MORE. THERE WILL BE A SECOND OWNER NOTIFICATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN JULY 20, 1998, UNDER WHICH DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WHEEL STUDS AND REPLACE THE WHEEL LUG NUTS.
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 | 1997, 1998 |
Components: WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
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 | 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1998 | 192 | 5 |
Other wheels recalls in 1998
19 of the 367 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1998 concerned the wheels; FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed 963 campaigns in all.
| 98V120011 7 Dec 1998 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 98V277000 4 Nov 1998 | GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC. |
| 98V248000 7 Oct 1998 | AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION CORP. |
| 98V193000 17 Aug 1998 | ELDORADO NATIONAL |
| 98V120012 10 Aug 1998 | TRAIL KING |
| 98V120010 7 Aug 1998 | BOYDSTUN |
| 98V120009 5 Aug 1998 | TALBERT MANUFACTURING, INC. |
| 98V120006 23 Jul 1998 | WALKER EQUIPMENT |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1998