- Vehicles
- 245,000
- Built between
- Aug 1980 – Jun 1982
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 April 1983
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1980 and June 1982. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981-1982 Ford EscortBuilt August 1980 to June 1982
- 1981-1982 Mercury LynxBuilt August 1980 to June 1982
What the defect is
The portion of the roof above frame (rail) to which the shoulder belt is anchored may have a slot that can compromise the strength of the shoulder belt anchor under certain severe loads. (the suspect area is not visible.) consequently, some vehicles included in this recall may not meet the 3000 pound anchorage strength requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages".
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REINFORCE THE ROOF RAIL INNER PANEL SURROUNDING THE DRAINAGE HOLE AT NO COST TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1980 to June 1982
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 February 1983
- Owners notified8 April 1983
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 17 February 1983.
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
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 210
- 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; station wagon models only.system: interior systems; front upper torso restraint (shoulder belt)anchorage.consequences of defect: in very severe front end collisions, the protectionafforded front seat occupants may be reduced.note: this recall should in no way discourage the use of the belts prior tohaving the defect corrected.
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.