New Vehicle Demonstration/Delivery Hold - Safety Recall 16S18 - Supplement #6 - Rear Suspension Toe Link Replacement (16S18)

SUBJECT

NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION/DELIVERY HOLD - Safety Recall 16S18 - Supplement #6 

Certain 2014-2015 Model Year Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles

Rear Suspension Toe Link Replacement

REF

NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION/DELIVERY HOLD - Safety Recall 16S18 - Supplement #5 

Dated October 30, 2020

REF

Optional Product Improvement 17G01 - Supplement #4 

Dated March 13, 2019

REF

NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION/DELIVERY HOLD 

• Safety Recall 17S11 - Supplement #7  Dated February 18, 2022
• Safety Recall 18S43 - Supplement #3  Dated February 18, 2022
• Safety Recall 19S17 - Supplement #3  Dated February 18, 2022
• Safety Recall 20S62 - Supplement #4  Dated February 18, 2022
• Safety Recall 21S32  - Dated February 18, 2022

REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT

An updated rear toe link design has been released. 

• Service Action - Completing any of the Explorer Toe Link Programs will close the field service action on all affected programs. 
• Attachment III Tech Instructions - The tech instructions have been updated with a new procedure. 
• Claims Preparation and submission - Added notes indicating that the updated parts have to be used and that completing any of the Explorer Toe Link Programs will close the field service action on all affected programs. 
• Labor Allowances - Updated labor operations to reflect the new service procedure. 
• Parts Requirements - Updated the parts required. 
• FSA Parts Inspection and Sign Off - Added section. 

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS and FSA VIN Lists.

REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL

In some of the affected vehicles, the rear suspension toe link(s) may have poor weld quality which may cause them to fracture. A fractured rear suspension toe link may cause a loss of steering control, a difficult steering condition, or rear suspension noise. Loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.

SERVICE ACTION

Before demonstrating or delivering any new in-stock vehicles involved in this recall, dealers are to replace both rear suspension toe links with latest level parts, check alignment, and adjust rear toe. This service must be performed on all affected vehicles at no charge to the vehicle owner.

OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner Notifications were mailed the week of November 14, 2016. Dealers should repair any affected vehicles that arrive at their dealerships, whether or not the customer has received a letter.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Federal law requires dealers to complete this recall service before a new vehicle is delivered to the buyer or lessee. Violation of this requirement by a dealer could result in a civil penalty of up to $21,000 per vehicle. Correct all vehicles in your new vehicle inventory before delivery. 

ATTACHMENTS

1. Attachment I: Administrative Information 
2. Attachment II: Labor Allowances and Parts Ordering Information 
3. Attachment III: Technical Information 
4. Attachment IV: Use of Aftermarket Ball Joints/Bushings 
5. Owner Notification Letter
6. Recall Reimbursement Plan

QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

For questions and assistance, contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) via the SSSC Web Contact Site. The SSSC Web Contact Site can be accessed through the Professional Technician Society (PTS) website using the SSSC link listed at the bottom of the OASIS VIN report screen or listed under the SSSC tab.

Sincerely,

David J. Johnson

OASIS ACTIVATION

OASIS was activated on April 26, 2016.

FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION

FSA VIN Lists have been available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com  since April 26, 2016. Owner names and addresses have been available since November 25, 2016.

SOLD VEHICLES

• Ford has not issued instructions to stop selling/delivering or driving used vehicles under this safety recall. Owners should contact their dealer for an appointment to have their vehicles remedied as soon as practicable.
• 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.

DEALER-OPERATED RENTAL VEHICLES

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act law effective June 2016 prohibits a rental company from selling, renting or leasing vehicles subject to a safety or compliance recall. Please consult your legal counsel for legal advice.

TITLE BRANDED/SALVAGED VEHICLES

Affected title branded and salvaged vehicles are eligible for this recall.

ADDITIONAL REPAIR (LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS)

Additional repairs identified as necessary to complete the FSA should be managed as follows:

• For related damage and access time requirements, refer to the Warranty and Policy Manual -Section 6 - Ford/Lincoln Program Policies - Field Service Actions (FSA) - Related Damage.
• For vehicles within new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, no SSSC approval is required.
  • Ford vehicles - 3 years or 36,000 miles
• For vehicles outside new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, submit an Approval Request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to completing the repair.

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 48121-6251.
• Dealers are also pre-approved to refund owner-paid emergency  repairs that were performed away from an authorized servicing dealer after the end date specified in the reimbursement plan. Non-covered repairs, or those judged by Ford to be excessive, will not be reimbursed.
• Refunds will only be provided for the cost associated with rear suspension toe link replacement due to fracture or wheel knuckle replacement due to a toe link ball joint that does not meet the outlined inspection criteria. 

RENTAL VEHICLES

Rental vehicles are not approved for this program.

CLAIMS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

• Enter claims using Dealer Management System (DMS) or One Warranty Solution (OWS) online.
  • When entering claims, select claim type 31: Field Service Action. The FSA number (16S18) is the sub code.
  • For additional claims preparation and submission information, refer to the Recall and Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) Repairs in the OWS User Guide.
• Additional labor and/or parts must be claimed as related damage on a separate repair line from the FSA.
  IMPORTANT: Click the radio button on the Related Damage Indicator.
• Submit refunds on a separate repair line.
  • Program Code: 16S18
  • Misc. Expense: ADMIN
  • Misc. Expense: REFUND
  • Misc. Expense: 0.2 Hrs.
• Multiple refunds should be submitted on one repair line and the invoice details for each repair should be detailed in the comments section of the claim.

LABOR ALLOWANCES

PARTS REQUIREMENTS/ORDERING INFORMATION

Order your parts through normal order processing channels. To guarantee the shortest delivery time, an emergency order for parts must be placed.

DEALER PRICE

For latest prices, refer to DOES II.

PARTS RETENTION, RETURN, & SCRAPPING

Follow the provisions of the Warranty and Policy Manual, Section 1 - WARRANTY PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN POLICIES. If a replaced part receives a scrap disposition, the part must be scrapped in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal environmental protection and hazardous material regulations. Federal law prohibits selling motor vehicle parts or components that are under safety, compliance, or emissions recall.

EXCESS STOCK RETURN

Excess stock returned for credit must have been purchased from Ford Customer Service Division in accordance with Policy Procedure Bulletin 4000.

REPLACED FSA PARTS INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF

Effective March 1st 2021 all parts replaced as part of an FSA repair with a repair order open date of March 1st 2021 or later must be inspected and signed off on the repair order by a member of your dealers fixed operations management team or an employee the task has been delegated to. If the task is to be delegated to a non-management employee, the employee needs to be someone other than the technician who completed the repair and needs to understand the importance of completing this task consistently and accurately. 

• All parts replaced as part of an FSA repair should be returned to the parts department following the Warranty Parts Retention and Return Policies. 
• Inspect the replaced parts to verify the FSA repair was completed. 
• If the FSA repair is found to be complete, the designated employee signs the repair order line or parts return stamp area (electronic or hand signed) for the FSA repair indicating the parts were inspected and validated to have been replaced. 
• After the parts have been inspected, they should be handled based on the guidance in the parts status report in the Online Warranty System (Hold, Return, CORE, Scrap, etc.). 
• This process is subject to review during warranty audits for FSA repairs with a repair order open date of March 1st 2021 or later. Any eligible FSA claims requiring parts replacement, found not to have been inspected and signed off during a warranty audit will be subject to chargeback and consideration for enrollment into the Dealer Incomplete Recall Repair Process. 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Position the vehicle on an alignment rack. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 100-02. 
2. Raise the rear of the vehicle by lifting the lower coil spring leaf. 
3. Remove both rear tires. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 204-04A. 
4. Remove and discard both rear toe links. See Figure 1. 
   1. Remove and discard the toe link-to-wheel knuckle bolts and nuts. 
   2. Remove and discard the toe link-to-subframe bolt and remove the toe links. 
   NOTE: Do not torque the fasteners at this time.
5. Install the new toe links by reversing the removal procedure. See Figure 1. 
   • Only hand tighten the inboard fastener and snug the outboard retainer at this time. 
6. Install both rear tires. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 204-04A. 
7. Lower the vehicle onto the alignment rack with the rear adjustment rack slip plates loose. 
8. Tighten the inboard rear toe link bolts on both sides. 
   • Torque: 111 lb.ft (150 Nm) 
9. Set the tire pressure and perform an alignment and tighten the outboard bolt and nut on both sides. This completes the recall. 
   • Torque: 111 lb.ft (150 Nm) 
   NOTE: the frame side of the new toe link has a slot that is used for the alignment process. See Figure 2.

   IMPORTANT NOTE: Federal law prohibits selling motor vehicle parts or components that are under safety, compliance, or emissions recall. Unless a part is requested to be returned to Ford, all parts replaced under this FSA must be scrapped in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal environmental protection and hazardous material regulations. Refer to the Parts Retention, Return, & Scrapping section of the FSA dealer bulletin for further information. 

Ford Motor Company Recall Reimbursement Plan for 16S18

Ford and Lincoln dealers are in the best position to quickly and efficiently process reimbursement requests. However, federal legislation requires all motor vehicle manufacturers to establish processes through which customers may seek recall reimbursement directly from the manufacturer or from the dealers. 

Regarding the specific reimbursement plan for Recall # 16S18, owners who have paid for service to remedy the defect or noncompliance must have had that service performed prior to November 30, 2016. After this date, if repairs related to this recall are performed by a non-Ford repair facility in an emergency situation, customers must submit any refund requests through their dealership. As required by this federal regulation, Ford Motor Company submitted the details of its latest General Recall Reimbursement Plan in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in February 2015. The following is the text of that letter and the Plan: 

General Recall Reimbursement Plan

(As submitted to the NHTSA)

Pursuant to the requirements set forth in 49 CFR Part 573 and Part 577 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Ford Motor Company (Ford) is submitting required information pertaining to our general reimbursement plan for the cost of remedies paid for by vehicle owners before they are notified of a related safety recall.

Set forth below is Ford's general plan to reimburse owners and purchasers for costs incurred for remedies in advance of notification of potential safely-related defects or noncompliances pursuant to Part 573.6 (c)(8)(i). This plan has not changed since our February 20, 2015 submission.

Reimbursement Notification

Ford's notice to a vehicle owner in accordance with 49 CFR Part 577 will indicate that Ford is offering a refund if the owner paid to have service to remedy the defect or noncompliance prior to a specified ending date. In accordance with Part 573.13 (c)(2), this ending date will be defined as a minimum of ten calendar days after the date on which Ford mailed the last of its Part 577 notifications to owners, and will be indicated in the specific reimbursement plan available to owners for an individual recall. This notice will direct owners to seek eligible reimbursement through authorized dealers or, at their option, directly through Ford at the following address:

Ford Motor Company

P.O. Box 6251

Dearborn, MI 48121-6251

Ford notes that this rule allows for the identification of a beginning date for reimbursement eligibility. Under the rule, an owner who paid to remedy the defect or noncompliance prior to the identified beginning date would not be eligible for reimbursement. Ford generally has not established such a beginning date for reimbursement eligibility and does not presently anticipate changing this general policy. However, in any case where Ford determines a beginning date is appropriate, Ford will indicate that date in the owner notice. As permitted by 577.11(e), Ford may not include a reimbursement notification when all vehicles are well within the warranty period, subject to approval by the agency.

Costs to be Reimbursed

For vehicles, reimbursement will not be less than the lesser of:

• The amount paid by the owner for the remedy that specifically addressed and was reasonably necessary to correct the defect or noncompliance that is the subject of the recall, or
• The cost of parts for the remedy (to be no more than the manufacturer's list retail price for authorized part(s), plus associated labor at local labor rates, miscellaneous fees (such as disposal of waste) and taxes.

For replacement equipment, reimbursement will be the amount paid by the owner for the replacement item (limited by the amount of the retail list price of the defective or noncompliant item that was replaced, plus taxes, where the brand or model purchased by the owner was different than the brand or model that was the subject of the recall). If the item of motor vehicle equipment was repaired, the reimbursement provisions identified above for vehicles will apply.

Ford notes that costs incurred by the owner within the period during which Ford's original or extended warranty would have provided for a free repair of the problem will not be eligible for reimbursement, as provided by Part 573.13 (d)(1).

Entities Authorized to Provide Reimbursement

Ford will continue to use authorized dealers to reimburse owners under the specific reimbursement plans for a particular recall, and will encourage owners to pursue requests for reimbursement directly through dealers to expedite reimbursement. Ford will also provide a mailing address to which customers can, at their option, send requests for reimbursement directly to Ford, as previously noted. Requests for reimbursement sent directly to Ford may take up to 60 days to process. Whether the owner chooses to pursue reimbursement requests through a dealer or directly through Ford, the owner will be directed to submit the required documentation, upon which reimbursement eligibility will be determined.

Required Documentation

The reimbursement determination will depend upon the information provided by the customer. Consistent with Part 573.13 (d)(4) the following information must be submitted:

• Claimant name and address
• Vehicle make, model, and model year
• Vehicle identification number (VIN) and, for replacement equipment, a description of such equipment or, for tires, the model, size and TIN (DOT code)
• Identification of the recall number (either the Ford recall number or the NHTSA recall number)
• Identification of the owner of the recalled vehicle at the time that the pre-notification remedy was obtained
• An original receipt for the pre-notification remedy that includes a breakdown of the amount for parts, labor, other costs and taxes, including costs for the replacement item. Where the receipt covers work other than to address the recall or noncompliance, Ford may require the claimant to separately identify costs that are eligible for reimbursement.
• If the remedy was obtained during the warranty period, documentation indicating that the warranty was not honored or the warranty repair did not correct the problem related to the recall.

Failure to submit all of the above information may result in denial of the reimbursement request.

Additional Information

The Part 577 required owner notice will provide a toll-free telephone number through which specific information about the reimbursement plan can be requested from Ford. This general reimbursement plan will be incorporated into notifications pursuant to Part 573.6 by reference. Information specific to an individual recall also may be incorporated into the Part 573.6 notification.