Safety Recall 14S04 - Reprogram Restraints Control Module

[ceemax71]

May 08 2014 4917 -Announcing Safety Recall 14S04

DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD - Safety Recall 14S04: Certain 2013-2014 Model Year C-MAX and Escape Vehicles - Reprogram Restraints Control Module. Advisory details

On certain vehicles, due to a defect in the restraint control module programming, deployment of the side curtain airbags may be delayed in certain rollover circumstances, which could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the restraint control module.

[kostby]

Trying to get a handle on build dates, our C-MAX SE with a build date of April 11, 2013 does show the Outstanding Field Service Action when the VIN is entered at www.etis.ford.com. 

 

14S04 - REPROGRAM RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE

[Bill-N]

Goes back to 8/20/2012, at least.

[homestead]

It also shows up for my Feb 2013 SEL.

[DaveofDurham]

And Nov 13, 2012 too.

[dweiser]

Ah, a new day, a new recall.

[Texas Flood]

It shows up for our August 2013 C-Max.

[timwil56]

It shows up for my Feb. 2014 Energi.

[AudenHoggart]

I also get the recall message using ETIS.  Does anyone have any information about when dealers will be ready to handle this problem, and approximately how long the fix should take?

 

Thanks!

[nsteblay]

I have 3 outstanding recalls on ETIS ...

 

13C07 - RECONFIGURE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER (IPC) MODULE
14C03 - FRONT SEAT BACK FRAME REPLACEMENT
14S04 - REPROGRAM RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE

[ArizonaEnergi]

My 9/1/13 car is also showing this recall. I'm not too concerned about this one, having driven cars for 45 years without side curtain airbags, so will wait until my first oil change/tire rotation (free at the dealer) to get this done, unless further information changes my urgency index.

[kostby]

Update Just received a link to the 'official' notices from NHTSA this morning.

 

Here are links to the documents you can read for yourself

 

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM455145/RCAK-14V237-2760.pdf

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM454933/RCDNN-14V237-3577P.pdf

 

A few excerpts copied from the (Ford) second document:

 

573.6 © (2)- Potentially Affected Vehicles

Vehicles potentially affected are certain 2013-2014 model year Escape and C-MAX vehicles

equipped with Safety Canopy System ™, and built at the Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) from

October 5, 2011, to February 14, 2014, and the Michigan Assembly Plant (MAP) from

January 19, 2012, to February 24, 2014, respectively.

 

These vehicles are not produced in VIN order. Information as to the applicability of this action to

specific vehicles can best be obtained by either calling Ford's toll-free line (1 -866-436-7332) or

by contacting a local Ford or Lincoln dealer who can obtain specific information regarding the

vehicles from the Ford On-line Automotive Service Information System (OASIS) database

The information for the supplier of the Restraints Control Module (RCM), that is the subject of

this defect report, is provided below.

 

Restraints Control Module:

Robert Bosch, LLC

15000 Haggerty Road

Plymouth, Ml 48170

Christer Jansson

(734) 979-4730

Country of Origin: Mexico

 

573.6 © (3)- Estimated Population of Vehicles Potentially Affected

Approximately 594,785 vehicles in the United States and federalized territories are potentially

affected.

573.6 © (4)- Estimated Percentage of Affected Vehicles with the Defect Condition

100%.

 

573.6 © (5)- Description of the Defect

The Restraint Control Module (RCM) supplier inadvertently reversed polarity in the low-g, Z-axis

(vertical axis) sensing configuration file. This sensing parameter is utilized in the deployment of

the Safety Canopy System™ on the 2013-2014 Escape and C-MAX vehicles. As a result, the

deployment of the safety canopy may be delayed in certain rollover circumstances, potentially

increasing the risk of injury.

No warranty, customer complaints, or injuries have been reported to date as a result of the

subject condition.

2 ATTACHMENT

573.6 © (6)- Chronology of Events

 

January 2014: During development of a forward model program, the RCM supplier engineering

team detected a reversed polarity in the low-g, Z-axis sensing configuration file. Ford

engineering was asked to determine the safety effect of the reversed polarity on vehicles

equipped with the Safety Canopy System TM.

 

February-March 2014: Ford analyzed and evaluated the design and determined that while it was

fully compliant with all regulatory and Ford internal full-vehicle testing requirements, in certain

rollover test scenarios, the effect of the reverse in polarity could be that Z-axis acceleration

might not be sufficient to deploy the safety canopy as quickly as intended.

 

April 2014: Even though all regulatory and Ford internal dynamic full-vehicle testing

requirements were fully met, on April 28, 2014, Ford's Field Review Committee reviewed the

concern and approved a field action to reprogram the RCM to design intent.

 

---

 

573.6 © (8)- Service Program

Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle(s) to a Ford or Lincoln dealer

to reprogram the RCM to the latest level. There will be no charge to owners for this service.

Mailing of owner notification letters will occur the week of May 26, 2014. Notification to dealers

will occur on May 7, 2014.

In accordance with Part 573.13(d)(1 ), Ford is excluding reimbursement for costs incurred by

owners for repair of this concern because Ford's original warranty program would provide for a

free repair for this concern for customers.

Edited May 10, 2014 by kostby

[ScubaDadMiami]

Even though all regulatory and Ford internal dynamic full-vehicle testing

requirements were fully met, on April 28, 2014, Ford's Field Review Committee reviewed the

concern and approved a field action to reprogram the RCM to design intent.

This, to me, is the most important part to which I pay attention, because it says something about Ford. 

 

These days, in the race to the top, manufacturers end out introducing products at a fast rate and with the newer technology, sometimes (okay, more often than just sometimes) with issues resulting. Not that I am saying to just forget about these instances, but my concern is about how manufacturers and dealerships handle them after they become known.

 

GM recently had the incident with the ignition switches, a reportedly known issue about which they did nothing for a long time. Toyota had the sudden acceleration issues that were said to be known but pushed off. Ford has also had its share of issues with the C-MAX: lower than reported fuel economy, kickgate requiring two kicks, MFT, dead battery issues, etc.

 

Okay, some of these--the battery issue, in particular--have not been fully resolved. On the other hand, Ford voluntarily paid money to those affected by the fuel economy issue, and Ford reprogrammed the vehicle to address the issue. (I am not saying that lawsuits or publicity did not play a role a role in this decision. However, Ford also did not stonewall by making denials for years.) Ford worked on the solution for the kickgate, and then took care of that. MFT continues to get updated and improved, and they have extended the period for warranty and updates, to address the issue. Ford found out about the seat issue, and they stepped up on that issue, even though there have not been many reports about it.

 

I feel pretty good about working with a company that handles mistakes well. Sure, I'd prefer not to have the mistakes in the first place, or to at least have many less mistakes. However, these things happen. It's what comes next that counts the most, right behind not having too many mistakes in the first place.

Edited May 10, 2014 by ScubaDadMiami

[mtb9153]

Maxus build date of late August 2012 is included, why couldn't they have announced this last week while she was getting 22.5k service at the dealer and they reconfigured the instrument panel cluster (IPC) module ?  Now I have to take it back after they finally could schedule me in.  Last service they were booked a week and a half in advance.  Frontier Ford is floundering in service repairs right now. Duh! I wonder why?

[salsaguy]

Does this mean that they ##won't## pay for it if you take it on to fix it? I'm confused. I hate legal-ese

 

Update Just received a link to the 'official' notices from NHTSA this morning.

 

 

In accordance with Part 573.13(d)(1 ), Ford is excluding reimbursement for costs incurred by

owners for repair of this concern because Ford's original warranty program would provide for a

free repair for this concern for customers.

[salsaguy]

So if my wife and I go car shipping now they won't let us test drive them until all their inventory is fixed??

[bemyax]

Z axis? I can't imagine getting slammed in the Z axis. Surely the X or Y would blow the airbags first anyway. :headspin:

[timwil56]

I took mine in today and it took 34 minutes from the time he checked me in, until the time the work order was closed.

[hotelie1970]

My my, I received Recall 14S04 in the mail today that was mailed in June and when I went online to Owner.Ford.com there is no recalls shown for my car.  Doesn't Ford's left hand know what its right hand is doing.  

[homestead]

Had our car reprogrammed this week.  It only took 30 minutes and 14S04 has already dropped of the fordetis site.

The service guy said "it took it the first time" so maybe some cars have to be reprogrammed.

[ljeast]

I took my Energi in Friday.  Picked it up Saturday and it ran fine.  Plugged it into charge, but this morning I got a flashing overhead light in the back seat and the display is dead and No Start...  :cry: I know I have to call Roadside Assistance, but was wondering if anyone anyone else has had issues when getting an update? Is there anything I can do?

 

 

2013 C-Max Energi

[drdiesel1]

Sounds like the dealer killed the battery and jumped started it, but never properly charged the 12V battery. Or else,

your 12V battery it bad and should be replaced. I've seen this happen a lot. They leave the doors open or the key

on, only to discharge the 12V battery and jump start it to get it out of the shop. Now you're stuck with it.

[drdiesel1]

Had our car reprogrammed this week.  It only took 30 minutes and 14S04 has already dropped of the fordetis site.

The service guy said "it took it the first time" so maybe some cars have to be reprogrammed.

Yeah, they all do :noobie:

[FordService]

I took my Energi in Friday.  Picked it up Saturday and it ran fine.  Plugged it into charge, but this morning I got a flashing overhead light in the back seat and the display is dead and No Start...  :cry: I know I have to call Roadside Assistance...

 

Going back to the dealership is a great next step, ljeast; be sure to come back and tell us what you find out. I'll be here if you need me to jump in and help.

 

Crystal

[homestead]

homestead, on 25 Jul 2014 - 11:31 AM, said:

Had our car reprogrammed this week.  It only took 30 minutes and 14S04 has already dropped of the fordetis site.

The service guy said "it took it the first time" so maybe some cars have to be reprogrammed.

 

Yeah, they all do :noobie:

Maybe I didn't say that clearly.  I took what he said to mean not all the reprogammings are successful and

they must rerun it until they get a successful reprogram.