FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT

What NHTSA is examining

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 under investigation