Automakers Deal With Bearing-Related Recalls

Auto manufacturers in the U.S. are handling a series of bearing and bearing-related recalls. General Motors is recalling 18,409 Chevrolet Venture and GMC Savana vans built between April 1 and October 31, 2002, because they may have been sent out on the road without the axle nut which holds the front wheel bearing hub assembly in place. Among the obvious consequences, this could lead to bearing failure and potential wheel separation. GM said, "If this were to occur, the amber-colored ABS tell-tale lamp in the instrument panel would illuminate and the ABS system would be disabled. The driver would also notice a grinding noise, a decrease in the vehicle speed, and the steering will pull in the direction of the affected brake assembly. This could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash." If inspection reveals the hub assembly retaining nut is missing, GM will also replace the entire hub assembly because it must have the proper fitup maintained by that nut. Recently, the Venture / Savana twins were treated to Forbes magazine's "Automotive Turkey Award" for being the most-recalled pickup, van, or SUV in America. General Motors is also recalling 41,500 of its 2003 model year Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari trucks to replace steering knuckles, in recall 03V328000. The knuckle forging's design allows both left and right side knuckles to contact and cut into the rubber boots protecting the lower ball joints. When these boots are cut, moisture and other contaminants enter the ball joints, leading to rapid failure. GM will be replacing all of these steering knuckles, starting in first quarter 2004. GM warns with ball joint failure, "the steering knuckle could separate from the lower control arm, dropping down the affected corner of the vehicle. The coil spring would push the control arm down into contact with the ground, creating a drag that would slow the vehicle. The driver could have difficulty in maintaining the directional control of the vehicle. In addition, the affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle if forces resulting from the wheel's dragging action were sufficient to fracture the tie rod end and upper ball joint connections. Separation of the wheel assembly would also sever that wheel's hydraulic brake hose, resulting in lost braking performance from the front brake system. Vehicle stopping distance would increase, which could result in a crash." Fleetwood Enterprises is recalling 740 Tioga and Jamboree motor homes because excessive driveshaft vibration may cause the carrier bearing bolts to loosen and eventual carrier bearing failure. Fleetwood said this could lead to, "drive shaft failure and the loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash." The company will inspect, replace, and/or retorque the carrier bearing bolts. Ford is still facing an open NHTSA investigation into wheel stud fractures in 1997-2000 Windstar minivans. NHTSA said the huge number of wheel stud failures reported -- 1,619 so far ouf of approximately 1 million vehicles -- "indicates that the subject vehicles experience wheel stud failures at significantly higher rates than peer minivans." The failures involve no fewer than 69 wheel separations and 11 crashes. By comparison, NHTSA's inquiry to DaimlerChrysler about their experience with minivan wheel stud failures turned up only 11 instances in over 3.3 million vehicles, virtually all in extremely high-mileage vehicles. DC reported no wheel separations and no crashes. Ford has pointed to dirt, exposure to corrosive elements, over-torqing and under-torquing as the possible culprits. VOLVO is recalling 2,586 of its 2004 model year XC90 sport utility vehicles in NHTSA recall 03V434000. Dealers will replace faulty front wheel speed sensors mounted to the bearings. Failure, due to the integrated drivetrain electronics and control systems, "until the system can detect the disturbance as a faulty signal and the fault codes are set in the brake control module, a number of nodes including brake, engine, transmission and torque distribution control units read the faulty signal as if it were correct. This may result in function disturbances." In other words, it the engine, brakes, transmission, and torque distribution control will not work correctly. DaimlerChrysler also has a lower ball joint seal problem, with 2002 and 2003 model year Jeep Liberty SUV. This involves NHTSA recall 03V460000. Over 438,000 Liberty trucks are being recalled worldwide, with about 336,000 in North America. Of the total, DC said it expects to replace lower ball joints in 318,000 and do inspection and heat shield installations in the other 120,000. A DC spokesman said various factors appear to be causing premature deterioration of the lower ball joint bearing seals and allowing lubricant to escape; in particular, the design of the seal, tolerance stack-up, and heat from the brake rotors are possible culprits. Incorrect assembly of the suspension component module could also be to blame, as could material handing issues and below-spec tapers machined into the joint. All of these situations could eventually compromise the integrity of the ball joint seal, said DC. The ball joints and suspension module are supplied by TRW. In the recall, DC is offering what it believes is a permanent repair. "Dealers will replace the front lower control arm ball joints with modified assemblies and heat shields on vehicles built between January 2, 2001 and October 4, 2002. On vehicles built between October 5, 2002 and March 26, 2003, dealers will inspect the ball joint assemblies (and replace as necessary) and install heat shields." DC will begin notifying owners about the problem and its resolution once enough replacement parts have been stocked in. DaimlerChrysler has another, much larger, ball joint problem with its Dodge Durango trucks. The subject of a recent CBS "Eye on America" investigative piece, a class-action lawsuit, and huge numbers of unhappy owner complaints, Durango ball joints have been an ongoing problem. The 1998-1999 and 2000-2003 joints are different part numbers, but the failures are becoming well-known across the industry and to the growing aftermarket replacement demand for these parts. With Durango owners reporting as few as 5,000 miles from each set of upper and lower ball joints, DaimlerChrysler has had to address the problem. Under warranty, the company admits to replacing at least 17,500 upper ball joints for 1998-up Durangos, including a number from 2003. DC said dealers are "often" replacing upper control arms and ball joints, "at no charge on out-of-warranty vehicles as a goodwill gesture." In August 2003, DC released a revised upper control arm ball joint which can be replaced without the need to replace the entire upper control arm and realign the vehicle. As recently as last week, however, Durango owners reported dealers were still deferring approved warranty replacements because the ball joints are regularly on national backorder. NHTSA's summary reads: "IN JULY 2003, ODI OPENED PE03-032 BASED ON 4 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING SEPARATION OF AN UPPER BALL JOINT. COMPLAINTS ALLEGED AN UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE IN THE FRONT END AND IN SOME OCCASIONS THE BALL JOINT SEPARATION IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN THE WHEEL, BRAKE ROTOR, AND STEERING KNUCKLE SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. SINCE OPENING THE PE, ODI HAS RECEIVED 23 ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BALL JOINT SEPARATION. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS IDENTIFIED A WEAROUT CONCERN IN THE SUBJECT BALL JOINTS THAT IS BELIEVED TO OCCUR AFTER WATER INTRUSION EVACUATES THE JOINT LUBRICANT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CONDITION POSES AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO SAFETY BECAUSE THE SUSPENSION DESIGN IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF JOINT SEPARATION. OVER 99 PERCENT OF THE FAILURES ARE RELATED TO WORN BALL JOINTS (E.G., NOISE COMPLAINTS). DAIMLERCHRYSLER REVISED THE REPAIR PROCEDURE IN AUGUST 2003 TO ALLOW THE UPPER BALL JOINTS TO BE SERVICED SEPARATELY FROM THE UPPER CONTROL ARM AND REDUCE REPAIR COSTS. DAIMLERCHRYSLER CHANGED THE SUPPLIER OF THE SUBJECT BALL JOINTS FROM TRW TO NEW CASTLE MACHINING & FORGE FOR MY 2000 VEHICLES. MY 2000 DURANGO VEHICLES ACCOUNT FOR 25 OF THE 37 SEPARATION COMPLAINTS. THE UPPER BALL JOINT WAS REDESIGNED IN MY 2003. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER ASSESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN MY 2000-02 DURANGO VEHICLES.