- Vehicles
- 229,500
- Built between
- Jul 1994 – May 1995
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 27 December 1995
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1994 and May 1995. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1995 Ford ContourBuilt July 1994 to May 1995
- 1995 Mercury MystiqueBuilt July 1994 to May 1995
What the defect is
Cracks have been found in the front safety belt outboard anchor tabs due to a combination of hydrogen embrittlement of the tab and stress introduced during attachment of the anchor tab to the seat frame. This does not conform with the requirements of FMVSS no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
What could happen
Consequence of non-compliance: a fracture or separation in this area would reduce the load that the anchor and the front safety belt anchorages could sustain, increasing the risk of injury in a vehicle collisoin.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL AN ANCHOR TAB REINFORCEMENT OR REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE FRONT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY IF AN ANCHOR TAB IS FOUND TO HAVE FRACTURED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1994 to May 1995
- Recall reported to NHTSA4 December 1995
- Owners notified27 December 1995
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 4 December 1995.
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
System: interior; restraint; belt anchor and attachment; FMVSS no. 210.VEHICLE description: passenger vehicles.note: a small number of vehicles built at the cuautitlan, mexico assembly plant from september 4 through september 8, 1995, are also included.note: owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time, should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.