Ford preliminary evaluation PE17007
Steering Wheel Fastening Bolt Loosens. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the steering on 3 model years (2014–2016). Opened Oct 23, 2017, closed Apr 23, 2018 after 6 months. It led to safety recall 18V167000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn March 12th, 2018, Ford Motor Company submitted a Defect Information Report to NHTSA describing a defect in the steering wheel fastening system of approximately 1,301,986 model year (MY) Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. On March 1, 2018, Ford discovered a design change that affected the MY 2014-2018 subject vehicles. The affected population are MY 2014-2016 Fusion and MKZ with manual and power adjust steering columns and MY 2017-2018 Fusion and MKZ equipped with manual adjust steering columns only. The affected populations have steering shafts with a reduced amount of threads for the steering wheel bolt to engage. The thread length was decreased by 5mm in the affected models. Ford stated that another contributing factor was the placement of a nylon locking patch torque retention on the fastening bolt. As a result, the steering wheel bolt may not maintain torque allowing the bolt to loosen and eventually separate from the steering shaft, resulting in a loose or detached steering wheel. The two crashes and one injury noted in Ford?s Defect Information Report are from two legal claims. The first accident is a claim where the driver reported the steering wheel twisted freely on the shaft which caused the driver to lose control. An injury was alleged but no details were provided. The second claim resulted in minor damage to the driver side of the vehicle including a punctured tire. No injury was reported. Ford?s recall remedy procedure will use a bolt that is 17mm longer, providing a more robust steering column thread and torque retention patch engagement. The torque retention feature will be 13mm longer to ensure proper engagement. This investigation is closed based on Ford's recall.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named on model years this site has no page for: 2014 Ford Fusion; 2015 Ford Fusion.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE17007 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 18V167000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE17007 still open?
No. It closed on Apr 23, 2018 and led to recall 18V167000.
Which vehicles does PE17007 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2016 Ford Fusion, 2014 Ford Fusion, 2015 Ford Fusion. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.