Nearly 1.4 million Fords and Lincolns face new safety recalls thanks to loose steering wheel bolts ― bad news for those car owners, but possibly worse news for any owners planning an overseas military move.

While the government pays for one vehicle to travel with a military family overseas, it may not ship your car if it has an open recall. According to the website for International Auto Logistics, the DoD contractor in charge of shipping service members’ vehicles to and from overseas, service members must provide documented proof that there are no open recalls before their vehicle will be accepted for shipment at a vehicle processing center.

Those prepping for a military move can enter their vehicle identification number at this website to see whether their car needs work. Service members can print a report, which serves as documented proof on the status of recalls associated with their vehicle.

Manufacturers are required to repair the defective item(s) that brought about the recall “without charge and within a reasonable time,” per National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidance. In most cases, that means your local dealer will make the fix; head here for details from the NHTSA on exceptions, and what to do if your dealer can’t (or won’t) comply.

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If the repair can’t be made, contact your vehicle processing center well in advance of your move date; if it’s determined that your open recall doesn’t pose a safety risk, you may be able to ship the car.

The recent recall involves Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models from 2014 to 2018. Get details on the cars involved, plus on a smaller recall involving 6,000 select Ford Fusion and Ford Focus models, here.

A Volkswagen recall created problems for troops serving overseas who had to get their cars back to the U.S. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

While fixing these and other recalls adds an extra step for stateside families on the move, it can become a more involved issue for those already overseas who will need to ship their cars back at the end of their assignment. Service members who owned Volkswagens and Audis that were part of a widespread emissions recall faced multiple headaches, especially because the options allowed by a settlement attached to the recall required their vehicles to be in the U.S.; even troops in Germany couldn’t get the required work done at local dealers.

About Kevin Lilley

Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.

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