- Vehicles
- 7,900,000
- Built between
- Aug 1987 – Sep 1992
- Models
- 18
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 7 June 1996
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1987 and September 1992. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1988-1991 Ford AerostarBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1991 Ford BroncoBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1989 Ford Crown VictoriaBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1990 Ford EscortBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988 Ford EXPBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1991 Ford F-150Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1991 Ford F-250Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1991 Ford F-350Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1990 Ford F150Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1990 Ford F250Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1990 Ford F350Built August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Ford MustangBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Ford TempoBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Ford ThunderbirdBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1989 Lincoln Town CARBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Mercury CougarBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1989 Mercury Grand MarquisBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
- 1988-1993 Mercury TopazBuilt August 1987 to September 1992
What the defect is
The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
What could happen
This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1987 to September 1992
- Recall reported to NHTSA25 April 1996
- Owners notified7 June 1996
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 25 April 1996.
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; ignition switch. Vehicle description: passenger and multi-purpose vehicles and light duty trucks. 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.