Ford Power Train: Cooling Unit and Lines

Ford is recalling about 1,800 vehicles over a problem with the power train. Transmission fluid leakage onto the exhaust manifold or catalytic converter can result in a fire.

Campaign
98V288000
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Reported
9 November 1998
Vehicles
1,800
Built between
Aug 1998 – Sep 1998
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
25 November 1998
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1998 and September 1998. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1999 Ford TaurusBuilt August 1998 to September 1998
  • 1999 Mercury SableBuilt August 1998 to September 1998

What the defect is

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equpped with the "california" emissions package. An incorrect transmission oil cooler line was installed. The line contacts the anti-lock braking system module support bracket and over time, can wear and develop a leak.

What could happen

Transmission fluid leakage onto the exhaust manifold or catalytic converter can result in a fire.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE APPROPRIATE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1998 to September 1998
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA9 November 1998
  3. Owners notified25 November 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 9 November 1998.

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 began november 25, 1998. 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 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

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