- Vehicles
- 123,453
- Built between
- Jul 1971 – Jul 1973
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 22 April 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1971 and July 1973. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1972-1973 Ford MustangBuilt July 1971 to July 1973
- 1972 Mercury CougarBuilt July 1971 to July 1973
What the defect is
Due to a manufacturing error, certain flexible-blade engine cooling fans may be subject to fatigue cracking and blade separation during vehicle operation.
What gets fixed
DEFECTIVE FAN WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN WITHOUT CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1971 to July 1973
- Recall reported to NHTSA2 December 1981
- Owners notified22 April 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 2 December 1981.
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 302 or 305 cid enginesand factory air conditioning.system: engine and engine cooling; flexible-blade engine cooling fan.consequences of defect: broken blade fragments may be propelled outwards,damaging engine components or, possibly injuring persons in the vicinity.note: owner is advised not to leave the hood open or have the engine servicedwhile the motor is running, until the fan has been replaced.
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.