NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE08-001: LOSS OF BRAKE POWER-ASSIST

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-001 on January 8, 2008 and closed it on May 9, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2005–2006 Ford F-150 for it and links recall 08V-208 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE08-001 (also written PE08001)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed May 9, 2008
Opened: January 8, 2008
Closed: May 9, 2008
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Components: Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Power Assist; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Power Assist — Vacuum; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Power Assist — Vacuum — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Recall linked by NHTSA: 08V-208: BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY TUBE ASSEMBLY, reported May 7, 2008
Vehicles and equipment: 2005–2006 Ford F-150

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-001.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

BY LETTER DATED MAY 5, 2008, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-208) TO ADDRESS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY 605,684 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 AND 2006 FORD F-150 AND LINCOLN MARK LT VEHICLES ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.4L DISPLACEMENT, 3-VALVE PER CYLINDER, V-8 ENGINE.THE RECALLED VEHICLES WERE BUILT FROM JULY 18, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE DEARBORN TRUCK PLANT; FROM MAY 4, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT; AND FROM APRIL 19, 2004 THROUGH MAY 31, 2006 AT THE NORFOLK TRUCK PLANT.THE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY UNIQUE TO THE 5.4L V-8 ENGINE.FORD F-150 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONALLY AVAILABLE 4.2L V6 AND 4.6L V-8 ENGINES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL ACTION BECAUSE THEY UTILIZE A DIFFERENT, ONE-PIECE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY THAT DOES NOT EXHIBIT AN APPARENT DEFECT TREND. THE RECALLED VEHICLES UTILIZE A TWO-PIECE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY COMPRISED OF A STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY AND VACUUM HOSE.THE STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY ATTACHES TO A FITTING ON THE ENGINE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD UTILIZING A FLEXIBLE RUBBER HOSE AND PLASTIC ELBOW.THE VACUUM HOSE ATTACHES TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STANDPIPE ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTS TO A CHECK VALVE FITTING AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY.ACCORDING TO FORD, THE PORTION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY SWELL OVER TIME AND LOSE RETENTION FORCE, WHICH MAY ALLOW THE HOSE TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD.SHOULD THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY BE DISRUPTED, APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL MAY DEPLETE THE VACUUM RESERVE AND CONSEQUENTLY RESULT IN LOSS OF BRAKE POWER-ASSIST. TO CORRECT THE SAFETY DEFECT, FORD WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED DESIGN BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY THAT UTILIZES A HOSE CLAMP AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT. THIS REMEDY WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE FOR ALL RECALLED VEHICLES.LATER PRODUCTION FORD F-150 AND LINCOLN MARK LT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MAY 2006 WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A HOSE CLAMP AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE/INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT AND ARE NOT AFFECTED. TO DATE, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) IS AWARE OF 324 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS AND 14 NON-INJURY CRASHES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF 4,465 SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCED ONE OR MORE WARRANTY CLAIMS TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE ASSEMBLY. THE ACTION TAKEN BY FORD IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-001. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Ford

Ford F-150
- 2005, 2006

All Ford recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE08-001

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.