Investigations
FRACTURE OF THE STEEL WHEEL RIM
NHTSA Recall Query RQ04007 - closed, opened 2004-08-02 and involving the FORD FORD.
NHTSA investigation RQ04007 is a Recall Query opened on 2004-08-02 and currently closed. The subject of record is FORD FORD, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for FORD. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-12-20 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Recall Query like RQ04007 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "DURING A SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 MEETING AND IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS IN NOVEMBER, FORD ADVISED THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OF THEIR PLANS TO INTRODUCE AN IMPROVED STEEL WHEEL FOR MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE COMP..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related FORD files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
DURING A SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 MEETING AND IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS IN NOVEMBER, FORD ADVISED THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OF THEIR PLANS TO INTRODUCE AN IMPROVED STEEL WHEEL FOR MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE COMPONENT USE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, INDICATING THIS WOULD OCCUR IN DECEMBER 2004. THE NEW WHEEL DESIGN INCORPORATES AN ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURING PROCESS (SHOT PEENING) WHICH LOWERS TENSILE STRESS IN THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE RIM MATERIAL ADJACENT TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD. THEORETICALLY THIS SHOULD IMPROVE RIM DURABILITY BY REDUCING FATIGUE CRACK INITIATION SITES. INDICATIONS FROM FORD¿S ACCELERATED TESTING METHODS SHOW AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NEW WHEEL. IN ADDITION TO PRIOR SAFETY RECALL 03V279 AND SERVICE ACTION (SA) 03M03, FORD WILL ANNOUNCE A NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY SA FOR VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2004 THAT SUFFER RIM FRACTURES IN SERVICE. THE NEW WHEEL DESIGN WILL BE USED AS A REMEDY. FORD ADVISES THAT A SA IS SUFFICIENT FOR ADDRESSING FUTURE WHEEL FAILURES (INCLUDING RECALL 03V279 REMEDY WHEEL FAILURES) BECAUSE: 1) FAILURE RATES ARE LOW BASED ON FORD¿S ANALYSIS, AND 2) DRIVER WARNINGS (REPETITIVE SLOW AIR LOSS, AND OR STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION) ALLOW EARLY AND SAFE DETECTION OF CRACKED WHEELS. ODI HAS RECEIVED 25 VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE (VOQ) REPORTS (INVOLVING 22 VEHICLES) WHICH ALLEGE A RIM FRACTURE OF ONE OR MORE STEEL WHEELS. ABOUT HALF THE REPORTS INVOLVE VEHICLES BUILT WITH THE REMEDY WHEEL USED FOR RECALL 03V279, AND MOST OF THE REMAINING VEHICLES WERE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING PERTINENT FORD COMPLAINTS IS MADE DIFFICULT BY FORD¿S PRIOR RECALL AND WARRANTY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES. THE MANUFACTURER COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY COUNTS, WHICH PRIMARILY INVOLVE FAILURES OF RECALL 03V279 REMEDY WHEELS, ARE BASED ON ANALYSIS CONDUCTED TO DATE AND ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CONSERVATIVE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED, THUS ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA). DURING THE EA, PER
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
Other FORD Investigations
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.