- Vehicles
- 314,400
- Built between
- Aug 1972 – Aug 1974
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 2 January 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1972 and August 1974. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1973-1974 Ford CustomBuilt August 1972 to August 1974
- 1973-1974 Ford GalaxieBuilt August 1972 to August 1974
- 1973-1974 Ford LTDBuilt August 1972 to August 1974
- 1973-1974 Ford Ranch WagonBuilt August 1972 to August 1974
What the defect is
Some of the flexible five-blade engine cooling fans may be subject to high blade stresses that can result from resonant vibration inputs occurring during normal vehicle operation. This can result in the blades cracking due to fatigue, and portions of the blade may separate from the fan assembly without prior warning.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE FAN WITH ONE OF AN IMPROVED FIVE-BLADED DESIGN, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1972 to August 1974
- Recall reported to NHTSA7 November 1980
- Owners notified2 January 1981
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 7 November 1980.
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 equipped with 351W cid engines and airconditioning.system: engine cooling; fan.consequences of defect: blade portions propelled from a rotating fan may damageunderhood components and cause personal injury to bystanders if the hood isopen.
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.