- Vehicles
- 21,000,000
- Built between
- Sep 1969 – Aug 1980
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- Not yet
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1969 and August 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1970-1980 Ford FordBuilt September 1969 to August 1980
- 1970-1980 Ford Ford TruckBuilt September 1969 to August 1980
- 1970-1980 Lincoln LincolnBuilt September 1969 to August 1980
- 1970-1980 Mercury MercuryBuilt September 1969 to August 1980
What the defect is
This is a manufacturer"s notice to advise owners of proper vehicle operation. The parking gear may not be securely engaged after the operator has attempted to shift to park. The vehicle may appear to be in park though actually in reverse. This could allow the vehicle to move unexpectedly.
What gets fixed
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SELF-STICKING LABEL CONTAINING IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AS A DAILY REMINDER OF THE SERIOUS HAZARDS OF UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOTION. IT SHOULD BE PLACED INSIDE THE VEHICLE IN AN EASILY SEEN LOCATION.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1969 to August 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA12 January 1981
No owner-notification date has been published yet. Manufacturers normally write to registered owners within 60 days of reporting a recall.
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 12 January 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 and light trucks equipped with FMX,C-3, C-4, C-6, or jatco automatic transmissions.system: power train; automatic transmission.consequences of defect: unexpected vehicle movement may result in accident,injury or death, especially to persons in the path of the vehicle.note: drivers should observe these steps: 1) make certain gear lever is engagedin park, 2) set parking brake fully, and 3) shut off ignition.
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.