Ford Structure: Roof and Pillars

Ford is recalling about 185,000 vehicles over a problem with the structure. Unexpected separation of the sunroof glass panel could possibly distract the driver increasing the risk of a vehicle crash or loss of vehicle control.

Campaign
97V235001
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Reported
18 December 1997
Vehicles
185,000
Built between
Jan 1990 – Jan 1993
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA investigation
Owners notified
2 March 1998
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between January 1990 and January 1993. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1991-1993 Ford ExplorerBuilt January 1990 to January 1993

What the defect is

Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with factory installed sunroof. The sunroof glass panel assembly can separate while the vehicle is moving due to incorrect hinge engagement. This was caused by improper sunroof installation of the glass panel.

What could happen

Unexpected separation of the sunroof glass panel could possibly distract the driver increasing the risk of a vehicle crash or loss of vehicle control.

What gets fixed

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN INSTRUCTION BOOKLET WHICH THOROUGHLY OUTLINES, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, THE PROPER PROCEDURES FOR THE REMOVAL, STORAGE, AND REINSTALLATION OF THE SUNROOF'S GLASS PANEL. A WARNING LABEL FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE SUNROOF'S LATCH KNOB WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED TO THE OWNERS.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJanuary 1990 to January 1993
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA18 December 1997
  3. Owners notified2 March 1998

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 18 December 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

Owner notification began march 2, 1998. Owners who do not receive the instruction booklet and warning label 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.

Same component

Same brand