- Vehicles
- 21,000
- Built between
- Aug 1979 – Feb 1981
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 13 May 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1979 and February 1981. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981 Ford EscortBuilt August 1979 to February 1981
- 1981 Mercury LynxBuilt August 1979 to February 1981
What the defect is
Fuel may possibly travel through the speed control vacuum lines and into the speed control actuation device (SERV0). The fuel can damage seals in the actuator servo and allow vacuum leaks. Such a leak could activate the speed control without any action on the part of the driver. This would cause the vehicle to gradually accelerate.
What gets fixed
THE VACUUM CHECK VALVE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPLACED AND THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO WILL BE REPLACED IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1979 to February 1981
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 April 1981
- Owners notified13 May 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 6 April 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
- 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
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with speed control option.system: equipment; speed control.consequences of defect: increase in vehicle speed can be controlled by applyingthe brakes, however releasing the brakes will allow the problem to recur. Ifthe driver is inattentive to vehicle speed, the condition could result in anaccident.
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.