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2008 Ford Edge

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Ford Edge do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 724.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

664 reports with mileage · 455 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 437 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 277 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 158 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

39 crash reports15 fire reports23 injury reports

What owners actually said

1,119 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2026
Service Brakes

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The brake pedal stop bumper/stop-lamp switch bumper disintegrated and fell out. Without the bumper, the brake pedal no longer depresses the brake-light switch far enough, causing the brake lights to remain continuously illuminated.…

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The brake pedal stop bumper/stop-lamp switch bumper disintegrated and fell out. Without the bumper, the brake pedal no longer depresses the brake-light switch far enough, causing the brake lights to remain continuously illuminated. I still have the remaining pieces of the bumper and they are available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The brake lights remained on continuously even when the brake pedal was not being pressed. This could prevent drivers behind me from knowing when I am actually braking, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision. The continuously illuminated brake lights could also drain the vehicle’s battery. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. The problem has not yet been inspected or confirmed by a dealer or independent repair facility. However, I reproduced the issue myself. When the missing bumper material is placed back at the contact point, it depresses the brake-light switch and the brake lights turn off normally. When the bumper is removed, the brake lights remain on. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. The vehicle and failed component have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or a repair facility. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning messages associated with the bumper failure that I noticed. The first obvious symptom was that the rear brake lights remained illuminated continuously after the brake pedal was released. Inspection of the brake-pedal area then revealed that the small brake pedal stop bumper had deteriorated/disintegrated and fallen out.

NHTSA ODI #11756384

Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2026
Fuel/propulsion System

The problem is the smell of gasoline when standing near the car. The associated recall has been evaluated by several dealers over the years. None have arranged to complete the recall.

NHTSA ODI #11752856

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2026
SteeringSuspensionWheelsCrashInjury

Front axle snapped. Power steering rack faulty. Leaks all fluids other than oil! Tire stud snapped sent me into a ditch. Transmission has been rough and leaking and only 160k miles. Manual says no need to warm up car as it's got a magic part. Well transmission is blown after following manual to the T on matinece and operation. M…

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Front axle snapped. Power steering rack faulty. Leaks all fluids other than oil! Tire stud snapped sent me into a ditch. Transmission has been rough and leaking and only 160k miles. Manual says no need to warm up car as it's got a magic part. Well transmission is blown after following manual to the T on matinece and operation. My family is a ford family! Minus one after this 08 edge can't believe they are allowed on the road. Help!!!!

NHTSA ODI #11749083

242,000 miles · Jun 18, 2026
SuspensionTires

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the contact stated that the vehicle was driven over a small bump in the road, the vehicle independently steered into the other lane. The contact stated that two full sets of tires were replaced within a month. In addition, the contact stated that the …

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The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the contact stated that the vehicle was driven over a small bump in the road, the vehicle independently steered into the other lane. The contact stated that two full sets of tires were replaced within a month. In addition, the contact stated that the tires were fractured down to the wire. The contact stated that someone informed the contact that sparks were noticed coming from the tires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 242,000.

NHTSA ODI #11745124

Mileage unknown · Mar 22, 2026
Fuel/propulsion System

My vehicle 2008 Ford edge had a safety recall from 2012 and the gas tank that the previous owners never had taken care of it or resolved. I purchased a car in February. I filled the gas tank. I parked it in my condo and I used my secondary car to go to work that day. Well, the management called me and said that my gas tank explo…

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My vehicle 2008 Ford edge had a safety recall from 2012 and the gas tank that the previous owners never had taken care of it or resolved. I purchased a car in February. I filled the gas tank. I parked it in my condo and I used my secondary car to go to work that day. Well, the management called me and said that my gas tank exploded and that there was fuel all over the condo parking lot. Had the fire department come and secure the car they took care of the gasoline in the parking lot and then I had it towed to Miller Ford when we found out that there was a recall on that gas tank. This car has been at this dealership three times it’s going tomorrow. This will be the fourth time for the same issue. I feel that this car is not safe. I feel that because nobody addressed this safety recall since 2012 that everything was corroded. I almost got into three accidents because the car stalled on me on three different occasions.

NHTSA ODI #11726207

150,000 miles · Mar 20, 2026
Fuel System, Gasoline

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V682000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) on November 4, 2021. However, the vehicle experienced a fuel leak. The contact stated that the dealer applied a corrosion preventative to the fuel tank instead of replacing…

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The contact owns a 2008 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V682000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) on November 4, 2021. However, the vehicle experienced a fuel leak. The contact stated that the dealer applied a corrosion preventative to the fuel tank instead of replacing the fuel tank as expected. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI #11725871

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2026
Engine

The internal water pump failed on my 2008 Ford Edge (3.5L V6), allowing coolant to leak into the engine oil. This caused catastrophic engine damage and complete engine failure. The water pump is internally mounted and driven by the timing chain. When it fails, coolant contaminates the oil, destroying the engine without adequate …

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The internal water pump failed on my 2008 Ford Edge (3.5L V6), allowing coolant to leak into the engine oil. This caused catastrophic engine damage and complete engine failure. The water pump is internally mounted and driven by the timing chain. When it fails, coolant contaminates the oil, destroying the engine without adequate warning. There was no external leak prior to failure. This is a known issue affecting many Ford vehicles with this engine design.

NHTSA ODI #11720256

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2026
Engine

I am reporting what I believe to be mileage roll back and fraud. The vehicle was bought from a private seller and upon submitting paperwork to the DMV, it was found that the mileage on the car's odometer was less than the mileage on the car's title information.

NHTSA ODI #11713843

Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2025
Unknown Or Other

On November 2, 2021, I purchased a 2008 Ford Edge, Stock #: 12256. Upon reviewing the vehicle’s history recently, I discovered that it had been previously involved in an accident—a fact that was not disclosed to me at the time of sale. Moreover, it has become evident that the odometer was tampered with, and the mileage was misre…

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On November 2, 2021, I purchased a 2008 Ford Edge, Stock #: 12256. Upon reviewing the vehicle’s history recently, I discovered that it had been previously involved in an accident—a fact that was not disclosed to me at the time of sale. Moreover, it has become evident that the odometer was tampered with, and the mileage was misrepresented. These facts constitute material misrepresentation and odometer fraud under both state and federal law. According to the Carfax report, which was not provided to me at the time of sale, the mileage history for the vehicle is as follows: 192,195 miles recorded in 2020 164,208 miles recorded in 2021 161,269 miles recorded in 2022 163,087 miles at the time of purchase in 2021 This inconsistent and decreasing mileage history indicates that the odometer was rolled back. In addition, the emissions documentation lists testing in December, even though I took ownership of the vehicle in early November. Since the date of purchase, I have been unable to register the vehicle or obtain a passing emissions certificate. Had I been made aware of the vehicle’s true condition and mileage history, I would not have completed the purchase. The failure to disclose this information and the apparent falsification of documents constitute fraudulent misrepresentation and a violation of applicable consumer protection laws. I am requesting a full refund from this company because I don't trust that they will make me "whole" in the process.

NHTSA ODI #11666932

Mileage unknown · Mar 28, 2025
EngineVehicle Speed Control

When I accelerate, my car jerks or the shifting is not smooth anymore. Others have been quoted over $9k to fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11651357

Official recalls

6

21V158000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Mar 10, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

21V081000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Feb 16, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Air Bags:frontal

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

17V024000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jan 10, 2017

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

16V384000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

May 31, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

14V682000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Oct 29, 2014

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Lincoln MKX, and Ford Edge vehicles, manufactured June 15, 2006, to September 22, 2008, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Due to corrosion from salt water exposure such as from road salt use, the affected vehicles may leak fuel from the fuel tank seam weld under the tank mounting reinforcement brackets.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 12, 2014. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Dealers will inspect the vehicles and either clean and treat the fuel tank with a corrosion preventative or replace the tank, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S22.

08V301000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Jul 3, 2008

FORD IS RECALLING 142 MY 2008 EDGE AND LINCOLN MKK ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. THE FUEL TANK WELD FIXTURE MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A CONTAMINANT DURING PRODUCTION WHICH COULD CAUSE A DIMPLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK AT A SPOT WELD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS DIMPLE COULD RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK OR A FUEL DRIP FROM THE TANK. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 11, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-437-7332.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

PE09031 · Front Suspension Lower Ball Joint

Opened Jul 13, 2009 · Closed Nov 19, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

ON JULY 13, 2009, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS (ODI) OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE09-031 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATION IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 AND 2008 FORD EDGE AND LINCOLN MKX VEHICLES.THE INVESTIGATION WAS BASED ON THREE OWNER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND CAUSED THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE WHILE DRIVING.ODI ALSO IDENTIFIED INFORMATION RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN EARLY WARNING DATA SUBMITTED BY FORD.PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE PINCH BOLT USED TO SECURE THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT STUD TO THE STEERING KNUCKLE.ONE COMPLAINT ALLEGED THAT A CRASH OCCURRED WHICH RESULTED IN A MINOR INJURY.HOWEVER, NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COULD BE OBTAINED TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM.INFORMATION PROVIDED BY FORD IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER FOR PE09-031 INDICATE THAT IN EARLY MY 2007 PRODUCTION THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY PROCESS.THE PINCH BOLTS USED WERE HAND STARTED AND HAD THE POTENTIAL TO CROSS THREAD AND NOT ACHIEVE PROPER CLAMP LOAD, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A LOOSE JOINT.IN NOVEMBER 2007, CHANGES WERE IMPLEMENTED TO CHASE AND CLEAN THE FIRST SIX THREADS OF THE BOLT TO PROVIDE EASIER HAND STARTING OF THE NUT AND ENSURE GOOD THREAD ENGAGEMENT BEFORE TIGHTENING. FORD ALSO IDENTIFIED ONGOING CONCERNS WITH THE POWER TRANSMISSION UNIT (PTU) SEALS AND FRONT SUSPENSION HYDRO-BUSHINGS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, WHICH BOTH REQUIRE DISASSEMBLY OF THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT TO REPAIR.IF THE BALL JOINT IS NOT PROPERLY REASSEMBLED FOLLOWING SUCH SERVICE, THE JOINT MAY SEPARATE IN LATER SERVICE.FORD HAS PROVIDED ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS AND NEW PINCH BOLTS TO THE PTU REPAIR KIT TO IMPROVE THE JOINT REASSEMBLY PROCESS. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF FAILURE DATA IDENTIFIED 31 INCIDENTS OF JOINT SEPARATION (WITH 12 SPECIFICALLY STATING THAT THEY OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING).REPAIR RECORDS FOR THESE 31 VEHICLES SHOWS THAT 28 INVOLVE SEPARATION OF THE JOINT ON THE PASSENGER (RIGHT) SIDE, WHICH IS THE SIDE THAT MUST BE DISASSEMBLED FOR PTU SERVICE.TWENTY-THREE OF THESE WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISASSEMBLED FOR CONTROL ARM BUSHING SERVICE, PTU SERVICE OR OTHER TRANSMISSION REPAIR. THE EIGHT CLAIMS THAT DID NOT INVOLVE PRIOR SERVICE REPAIRS REQUIRING JOINT DISASSEMBLY ALL OCCURRED VERY EARLY IN VEHICLE LIFE, INDICATING THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT ANY JOINTS MANUFACTURED WITH LOOSE PINCH BOLTS ARE STILL IN SERVICE.ALL OF THESE JOINTS FAILED WITHIN 6 MONTHS IN SERVICE AND 10,000 MILES (THE MAXIMUM FAILURE MILEAGE IS 8,097 MILES).THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY SUCH FAILURES (I.E., NOT INVOLVING PRIOR SERVICE/DISASSEMBLY) SINCE DECEMBER 2008.THE RATE FOR INCIDENTS THAT DID NOT OCCUR FOLLOWING SERVICE AND, THUS, MAY BE RELATED TO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY FORD IS VERY LOW (2.5 PER 100,000 VEHICLES) AND THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED VERY EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLES AND ARE NOT SHOWING A CONTINUING FAILURE TREND.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO