Vehicles Involved

Certain 1987 Taurus and Sable sedans produced on October 17, 1986 and October 20, 1986 at the Atlanta Assembly Plant and October 20, 1986 at the Chicago Assembly Plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFECT:

On some of these vehicles, the rear spindles may have been improperly heat treated at the outer bearing area of the stem. The stem of such a heat treated spindle may separate, potentially resulting in loss of vehicle steering control and a crash.

To correct this condition, new rear spindles are to be installed on each of the affected vehicles.

IMPORTANT

DO NOT DRIVE, DEMONSTRATE, PLACE INTO SERVICE OR DELIVER ANY OF THESE VEHICLES UNTIL THE RECALL HAS BEEN PERFORMED.

NOTIFICATION OF OWNERS/DEALER ACTIONS:

The enclosed list identifies vehicles delivered to your dealership which are involved in this recall. Other eligible vehicles may be brought to your dealership by their owners for this recall service. Those units also are to be corrected as promptly as possible. If the owner of any eligible vehicle does not have a Customer Notification and Dealer Claim Form (FED-1864 or FCS-1864), a blank Form 1864 should be completed by you and submitted for reimbursement. For Dealers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands - To determine vehicle eligibility, please use "CARES".

Vehicle owners whose names and addresses are shown on the enclosed recall listing are being notified by First Class Mail. If you have knowledge that a suspect vehicle has been sold, but the owner's name and address does not appear on the listing, please contact the owner immediately and provide him a copy of the owner letter. If the owner of any vehicle cannot be contacted or does not make an appointment to have his vehicle corrected, advise your supervising Ford location of the owner's name and address so that we can handle further notification.

Owners In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are being encouraged in the owner letter to ask about any other outstanding recalls on their vehicles when they contact you to arrange an appointment for this recall service. Dealers In those locations can advise them through use of CARES of other recalls, if any, that may be uncompleted. You should attempt to complete all open recalls on these vehicles on a single visit.

If no vehicle listing is enclosed, you are not involved at this time, and this Servlce Recall Bulletin is for information only

DEALER OBLIGATIONS:

Dealers are obligated to perform this recall service promptly following presentation of the vehicle by the owners. United States law requires that we advise owners in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain territories of the procedure to be followed by them in informing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, if the defect is not corrected without charge within a reasonable time after the vehicle is brought in. This notice is included in the owner letter (copy attached) to be sent to owners in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Canal Zone, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. It is also important, however, that you promptly report (to your supervising location or Wixom) any instances in which an owner will not allow you to complete this recall because of objections to delays in scheduling, or for any other reason.

As stated previously, for any suspect vehicle received and already delivered to an owner, it is imperative that you contact the owner immediately, and advise the owner to return the vehicle to your dealership without delay for the correction.