- Vehicles
- 60,000
- Built between
- May 1985 – Mar 1988
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 1 July 1988
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between May 1985 and March 1988. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1986-1988 Ford AerostarBuilt May 1985 to March 1988
What the defect is
Vehicles equipped with trailer tow package have a trailer taillight relay assembly that contains wires of smaller gauge than the fuse link which protects the circuit.
What could happen
Should a short circuit occur in the wiring within therelay or if water intrusion occurs the smaller gauge wire in the relay willfunction as a fuse link and overheat. The possibility exists for a fire if thewires are exposed to combustible materials.
What gets fixed
INSTALLATION OF A RELAY WITH WIRES OF GAUGE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT THE CIRCUIT.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMay 1985 to March 1988
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 June 1988
- Owners notified1 July 1988
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 June 1988.
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
System: electrical.vehicle description: multi purpose vehicle van, equipped with optional trailertow package.
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.