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July 13, 2009 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09031 FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT NHTSA Action Number: PE09031 Components SUSPENSION Opened From: July 13, 2009–November 19, 2009 Summary 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. 4 Associated Products Vehicles MAKE MODEL YEAR FORD EDGE 2007-2008 LINCOLN MKX 2007-2008 12 Associated Documents OCC 4/6/2010 LETTER TO FORD GRANT CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT TO FORD 11-9-2009 LETTER TO OCCINLM-PE09031-41413P.pdf75.583KB FORD 11-9-2009 LETTER TO OCC REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENTINLO-PE09031-41414P.pdf60.051KB FORD 11/6/2009 MEMO TO ODIINME-PE09031-37530P.pdf2057.436KB MEMO 11/16/2009 TO THE FILE FROM FORD 11/6/ EMAILINME-PE09031-37460P.pdf2047.375KB CLOSING RESUME APPROVED * 11/19/09 * pINCLA-PE09031-37540.pdf113.352KB FORD 9/18/2009 APPENDIX BINRD-PE09031-37082P.pdf48.209KB FORD 9/18/2009 APPENDIX DINRD-PE09031-37084P.pdf192.182KB FORD 9/18/2009 APPENDIX F, ENGINEERING VIEW/ILLUSTRATION/WARRANTYINRD-PE09031-37086P.pdf26356.115KB FORD 9/18/2009 APPENDIX JINRD-PE09031-37089P.pdf111.076KB FORD 9/18/2009 LETTER TO ODIINRL-PE09031-37080P.pdf718.811KB IR TO MFR - to investigate allegations of front suspension lower ball joint separation. - * 07/31/09 * pINIM-PE09031-36595.pdf576.359KB OPENING RESUME APPROVED * 07/13/09 * pINOA-PE09031-36123.pdf47.183KB INOA-PE09031-36123 FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT Failure 2007-8 Edge MKX.pdf INIM-PE09031-36595 IR TO MFR - to investigate allegations of front suspension lower ball joint separation.pdf INRL-PE09031-37080P FORD 9-18-2009 LETTER TO ODI.pdf INRD-PE09031-37089P FORD 9-18-2009 APPENDIX J Diagram of loading forces.pdf INRD-PE09031-37084P FORD 9-18-2009 APPENDIX D.pdf INRD-PE09031-37082P FORD 9-18-2009 APPENDIX B Owner Reports Legal Field Action OASIS etc.pdf INCLA-PE09031-37540 CLOSING RESUME APPROVED 11-19-09.pdf INME-PE09031-37460P MEMO 11-16-2009 TO THE FILE FROM FORD 11-6- EMAIL Q&A.pdf INME-PE09031-37530P FORD 11-6-2009 MEMO TO ODI.pdf INLO-PE09031-41414P FORD 11-9-2009 LETTER TO OCC REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT.pdf INLM-PE09031-41413P OCC 4-6-2010 LETTER TO FORD GRANT CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT TO FORD 11-9-2009 LETTER TO OCC.pdf

2007-2016 Edge/MKX/Flex/MKT/MKZ/MKS/Taurus/Taurus Police/Explorer/Explorer Police – AWD – Ticking/Knocking Noise From Driveline – Built On Or Before 30-Jun-2016 Some 2007-2016 Edge/MKX/Flex/MKT/MKZ/MKS/Taurus/Taurus Police/Explorer/Explorer Police equipped with All Wheel Drive (AWD) and built on or before 30-Jun-2016 may exhibit a ticking and/or knocking noise coming from the driveline area. To identify this noise, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 100-04, and follow the symptom chart. If the source of the noise is identified as the PTU and/or internal to the PTU, disassemble PTU assembly. Refer to updated WSM, Section 308-07. If the PTU is determined to be repairable, utilize kit GB5Z-7P258-A and the included instruction sheet.

Hello everyone, My car has a knocking problem after it almost ran out of oil from a valve gasket problem. Here is the video of the noise it's making. The high pitch tick has always been there and from what I read is fairly normal. It's the knocking noise like a noisy lifter when the engine RPMs go up. http://youtu.be/LrH7gKXy_v8 I'm hoping someone has had experience with this and can give me some information on where the problem is, and what it would take to repair it. Also, I know it's not a good idea, but how long I would be able to drive it in this condition. Here is the chain of events that put it into this condition: My engine was running fine. I have 45k miles on it. It was a Florida vehicle but I have been up in Chicago for school. The temperature dropped to below zero F, I let my vehicle warm up, then began to drive it into school, a seventy mile trip on the highway. Fifty miles into the drive and I heard a noise under the hood and pulled off to a truck stop, then I saw smoke and oil all over my engine. I checked the oil and nothing was on the dip stick. I put two quarts of oil into my engine, started it and let it run for about 10 seconds, shut it off and checked it again, with still nothing on the dip stick. I then added another quart of oil, turned the engine on again for a few seconds and for the first time my "Low Oil" light came on. Checked the dip stick and oil was only at the bottom so I added two more quarts. With the engine oil up to the proper level I got it to my friends house. Turned out the valve cover gasket went bad in the morning and blew all of my oil out. I replaced the valve cover gasket, and made sure the oil level was good. The engine was running fine, and not leaking. The next day on my way home, about 150 miles from the event, when I stopped for gas I heard the knocking noise that is in the video. The knocking noise happens in low gears. If I am going from 0-40 the knocking noise and loudness and speed match the speed of the engine. If I am in neutral or first and accelerating 1500 - 2000 rpms it's very noticeable. Second gear it's less noticeable. After I get over 45 mph and my engine shifts into the next gear the knock goes away and I wont hear it until I slow back down into the lower gears. Things that might be important: There is no coolant making it into my oil The knocking is quieter while my engine is cool. My engine never overheated It's not burning oil from what I can tell but may be too soon to tell I dont have blue smoke out of my exhaust My engine oil smells normal The knock sounds like it's coming from near the top of the engine or on the side closer to the firewall. I'll be monitoring this thread and will get back as often as I can and will keep everyone informed of updates. I'll be getting it into a mechanic as soon as I get my disability payment from the VA. Thanks everyone!