Ford Motor Company: Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Windshield › Electrical Heating Element
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 9, 2001 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 566,979. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1995-1997 FORD CONTOUR AND MERCURY MYSTIQUE VEHICLES. THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR COULD OVERHEAT CAUSING THE ATTACHED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO MELT.
The risk
THIS COULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE.
The remedy
FORD WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE HEATER BLOWER SWITCH FOR 10 YEARS FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF SALE OF THE VEHICLE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR AND A NEW WIRE JUMPER HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE.
6 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Ford Contour | 218 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| 1997 Mercury Mystique | 71 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 1996 Ford Contour | 563 | 11 | 24 | 35 |
| 1996 Mercury Mystique | 185 | 10 | 12 | 7 |
| 1995 Ford Contour | 891 | 12 | 65 | 39 |
| 1995 Mercury Mystique | 335 | 12 | 15 | 13 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 01I009000.
Full record for the 1997 Ford Contour → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →