- Vehicles
- 98,836
- Built between
- Mar 2004 – Feb 2005
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 18 November 2005
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 2004 and February 2005. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2005 Ford Crown VictoriaBuilt March 2004 to February 2005
- 2005 Lincoln Town CARBuilt March 2004 to February 2005
- 2005 Mercury Grand MarquisBuilt March 2004 to February 2005
What the defect is
On certain passenger vehicles, the battery cable includes a fusible link that may contact and subsequently chafe on a #2 cross member attaching bolt.
What could happen
This condition may result in heat damage and could lead to a fire.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUSIBLE LINK AND POSITION IT AWAY FROM THE CROSS MEMBER BOLT. IF THE FUSIBLE LINK HAS ALREADY CHAFED AND COPPER WIRES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, THE FUSIBLE LINK WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2005.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 2004 to February 2005
- Recall reported to NHTSA9 November 2005
- Owners notified18 November 2005
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 9 November 2005.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673, or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 05S38
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Ford recall no. 05S38. Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.