TRNS OIL COOLER LINE FAILS

What NHTSA is examining

Ford has acknowledged a serious problem with the accessory drive belt system (serpentine belt) in the subject vehicles.several service bulletins have been issued to address concerns related to belt tracking or wear.ford maintains that the subject condition does not present an unreasonable risk to highway safety, arguing that the low incidence of failures alleging safety consequences (I.e., fires, fluid leaks, and/or accidents) is strong evidence in support of this claim.ford has indicated receipt of 4,445 field reports and 46891 warranty claims concerning the subject condition. Ford maintains that the low number of reported hose ruptures and/or fires, relative to total belt failures, shows that the problem is a durability concern that presents very little risk to motor vehicle safety.ford intends to address the problemin a service bulletin scheduled for publication the week of march 13, 1995.odi has received several claims alleging that incidents of belt failure are causing collateral damage to adjacent fluid systems (e.g., power steering hose, coolant hose, and automatic transmission oil cooler hose).release of these fluids within the engine compartment may result in a vehicle fire, if exposed to a sufficiently hot surface area.the autoignition temperature for transmission oil may be as low as 300 c (570 f), while power steering fluid and engine coolant are generally harder to ignite (closer to 500 degree c (900 degreef)).damage to battery cable insulation has also been…

Vehicles under investigation