- Vehicles
- 80,034
- Built between
- Jul 1980 – May 1981
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 13 August 1984
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1980 and May 1981. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981 Ford EscortBuilt July 1980 to May 1981
- 1981 Mercury LynxBuilt July 1980 to May 1981
What the defect is
Screw that connects the seat back frame to the recliner mechanism may break.
What gets fixed
THE ATTACHMENT SCREW ON THE DRIVER"S SEAT WILL BE REPLACED BY ONE OF A LARGER DIAMETER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1980 to May 1981
- Recall reported to NHTSA18 July 1984
- Owners notified13 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 18 July 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
- 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; station wagon models with front seatrecliners.system: interior; drivers seat back frame.consequences of defect: if the seat back is placed under rearward pressure, theseat back may suddenly fall to the horizontal positon without warning. If thisoccurs on the driver"s seat, it may affect the driver"s control of the vehicle,possibly resulting in an accident.
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.