- Vehicles
- 152,000
- Built between
- Aug 1970 – Aug 1973
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 12 March 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1970 and August 1973. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1971-1974 Mercury CapriBuilt August 1970 to August 1973
What the defect is
The reclining seat assemblies may have a poor quality or a missing weld in the seat back frame. This could cause additional loading on other supportive elements in the seat which could result in loosening and eventual breakage of the seat back.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE DRIVER"S SIDE SEAT BACK.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1970 to August 1973
- Recall reported to NHTSA20 December 1979
- Owners notified12 March 1980
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 20 December 1979.
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.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
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
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.system: interior; seat back recliner.consequences of defect: if the seat back should break, the driver could beinjured or lose control of the vehicle, and an accident could occur.
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.