- Vehicles
- 1,300
- Built between
- Sep 1996 – Sep 1996
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 25 October 1996
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1996 and September 1996. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1997 Mercury VillagerBuilt September 1996 to September 1996
What the defect is
The four rubber fuel line connector hoses that are supplied to ford with the fuel tank assembly were improperly manufactured. These hoses can develop cracks or splits resulting in fuel leakage.
What could happen
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY FOR THE SUSPECT DATE CODES AND REPLACE THE FOUR RUBBER FUEL CONNECTOR HOSES IF NECESSARY.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1996 to September 1996
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 October 1996
- Owners notified25 October 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 17 October 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
- 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
Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin october 28, 1996.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.