2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Wheelsrim Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA PI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO HE NOTICED A SLOW LEAK IN THE TIRE. WHILE HE WAS ADDING AIR IN THE TIRE HE DISCOVERED THAT THE RIM WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER IN RECALL STATUS SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER OWNED BY A POLICE OFFICER. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK AND DOESN'T THINK IT SHOULD MATTER IF A POLICE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE OR NOT. THE RIMS HAVE CONTINUED TO CRACK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000.

FAILURE OF WELD POINT ON WHEEL RIMS CAUSING RAPID AIR LOSS IN TIRES, A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PROBLEM BEGIN WHEN I FOUND TIRE GONE FLAT AFTER DRIVING FROM MILFORD OH, TO MIDDLETOWN OH. TIRE WAS FINE BEFORE I LEFT MILFORD. TIRE HELD AIR FOR ONLY A FEW HOURS AND MY SPARE HAD A CUT IN THE SIDE WALL FROM A TOOL IN THE TRUNK, SO I PUT AIR IN AND TOOK IT BACK HOME. TOOK IT TO THE MILFORD WALMART TIRE AND LUBE CENTER, THEY DISCOVERED THE AIR LEAK AT THE WELD POINT. TOLD THEM TO PUT THE RIM FROM THE SPARE ON... SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME WELD POINT. LOOKED UP ONLINE AN FOUND THERE IS A RECALL. WENT TO FORD DEALERSHIP GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS A RECALL BUT ONLY IF IT IS STILL A POLICE OR FLEET VEHICLE. CALLED CORPORATE CUSTOMER LINE AND WAS TOLD...

THE SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM CONCERNING WHEEL RIMS ON THE 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA WHICH WERE OUTSIDE FORD SAFETY RECALL #03S05. WHILE INSPECTING RIMS DETAILED IN THIS RECALL, THIS DEPARTMENT FOUND CRACKS IN RIMS WHICH HAD NOT BEEN LISTED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN AS BEING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AGENCIES UTILIZING CROWN VICTORIAS EQUIPPED WITH WHEEL RIMS HAVING 7 VENT HOLES CONSIDER EXPANDING THE INSPECTION OF SAID RIMS. RIMS THAT HAVE REPETITIVE SLOW LEAKS COUND BE INDICATIVE OF A RIM OR WELD CRACK AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE FOR A PROPER INSPECTION OF THE WELDS.

LEFT FRONT WHEEL HAS SLOW LEAK. THE TIRE WAS DISMOUNTED AND HAD NO PUNCTURES EVIDENT. THE WHELL WAS INSPECTED AND A SMALL CRACK WAS DETECTED. THE WHEEL WAS REPLACED. THE CRACKED WHEEL WAS RETURNED TO FORD MOTOR CO., ATTN: DEB USRUM.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE PERTAINING TO HIS RIMS, BUT HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED. *PH ONE OF THE VEHICLE'S RIMS WERE LEAKING. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THE RECALL BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE CONSUMER CALLED ABOUT THE RIMS AND WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED AT THE DEALER THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT IF THE CONSUMER WANTED THE RIMS REPLACED HER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. (RECALL NUMBER 03V279000). *NM

2003 CROWN VIC POLICE INTERC. POLICE CAR HAD ITS TIRE RIM REPLACED BY FORD 9/2003, NEW RIM DATED 8/1/2003 WAS FOUND TO HAVE A 12 INCH CRACK ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE RIM WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO DEFLATE. NUMBERS ON THE RIM WERE 16X7 J T DOT K4 34 080103.*AK

MY CONCERN IS FOR THE 2003 FORD POLICE CROWN VICTORIA (POLICE INTERCEPTOR) PROGRAM 03M03 WHICH IS CONCURRENT WITH SAFETY RECALL 03S05. THEY BOTH INVOLVE INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF CRACKED RIMS. HOWEVER, THE 03M03 DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY EXTENDS THE WARRANTY. BOTH CONCURRENT CAMPAIGNS DESCRIBE THE SAME SYMPTOMS (REPEATED SLOW AIR LEAK, NIBBLE IN STEERING, DIFFICULTY IN BALANCING TIRES AND RAPID AIR LOST). HOWEVER, AFTER CONTACTING MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY, I WAS TOLD THE RIMS WOULD NOT BE INSPECTED AT MY REQUEST. I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WITH CITY OF RICHMOND FUNDS. FORD STATES "THAT ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF STEEL WHEELS MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 23, 2002 THROUGH APRIL 22, 2003 WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION" . I FEEL A FAILURE THAT COULD OCCUR DURING A HIGH SPEED PURSUIT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. FORD ALSO SAYS IN THE 03S05 SAFETY RECALL THAT...

MY 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR HAS FIVE WHEELS THAT HAVE THE AFFECTED DATE CODE STAMPED ON THEM THAT INDICATE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME THAT THEY DO NOT NEED REPLACING IF THEY ARE NOT LEAKING AIR. AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL I AM STRANDED OR INVLOVED IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE FORD WILL REPLACE THE RIMS? *AK

VEHICLE'S RIMS ARE CRACKED, A RECALL WAS ISSUED; HOWEVER VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

DEALERSHIP DIDN'T HAVE THE REPLACEMENT WHEELS FOR THE STEEL WHEELS RECALL 03 V 279 000. RECALL DEFECTS HAD ALREADY OCCURRED ON ONE OF THE WHEELS.*AK

THE RIMS SPLIT IN HALF. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *AK *JB

POLICE OFFICER NOTICED ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES WAS FLAT DUE TO A FAULTY/CRACKED RIM. *AK

RIMS CRACKED ON THREE OF THE SIX CROWN VICTORIAS OWNED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BLUFFS. *MR PH

CONSUMER NOTICED A SLOW LEAK IN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT THE RIM WAS CRACKED. CONSUMER FELT THE RIMS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK

A POLICE OFFICER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE HEAVILY DUE TO A CRACKED RIM. THE OFFICERS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *CB *NLM

THE RIMS CRACKED WITHOUT WARNING. *NLM

THE CONSUMER NOTICED A HARD VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY A TECHNICIAN, WHO STATED THE RIM WELL WAS CRACKED. *JB PH *JB

TIRE RIMS ARE SEPARATING ON THE WELD-WE HAVE FOUR RIMS THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED TO, ON TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES. THE TIRES WILL HOLD ABOUT TWENTY POUNDS OF AIR EVEN WITH THE WELD BREAK. FRONT END SHIMMIES AT 30 MPH OR MORE WHICH INDICATES THE PROBLEM. *NLM