- Vehicles
- 299,600
- Built between
- Jul 1988 – Mar 1990
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Other
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- Not yet
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1988 and March 1990. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1989 Ford TaurusBuilt July 1988 to February 1989
- 1989-1990 Lincoln ContinentalBuilt July 1988 to March 1990
- 1989 Mercury SableBuilt July 1988 to February 1989
What the defect is
This is not a safety recall in accordance with federal regulation 573. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Ford is initiating an owner notification program that will provide an extended warranty, 12 years and unlimited mileage, for all seat belt buckles with functional concerns.
What could happen
In the event of a collision, the occupant of the seat may not be properly restrained and personal injury could occur.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY, FOR 12 YEARS AND UNLIMITED MILEAGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1988 to March 1990
- Recall reported to NHTSA7 October 1997
No owner-notification date has been published yet. Manufacturers normally write to registered owners within 60 days of reporting a recall.
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 7 October 1997.
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
Note:ford has decided to conduct a safety improvement service campaign to replace the seat belt buckle assembly without charge.owners can contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
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.