- Vehicles
- 261,400
- Built between
- Aug 1980 – Aug 1983
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 14 August 1984
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1980 and August 1983. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981-1983 Ford EscortBuilt August 1980 to August 1983
- 1984 Ford TempoBuilt August 1980 to August 1983
- 1981-1983 Mercury LynxBuilt August 1980 to August 1983
What the defect is
Seat frame structure could sever front seat belts if vehicle is involved in an accident, depending on force of impact.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSTALL A MOLDED SPACER BETWEEN REINFORCEMENT PLATES AND LOWER DECORATIVE PLASTIC COVER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1980 to August 1983
- Recall reported to NHTSA15 June 1984
- Owners notified14 August 1984
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 15 June 1984.
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 non-reclining frontseats.system: interior; front seat belts.consequences of defect: if seat belt is cut during impact, front passengerswill no longer be protected by safety belt, which could result in personalinjury.note: until the defect can be corrected, seat belts should be used as they doafford some protection.
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.