Ford Motor Company: Trailer Hitches
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 11, 2002 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 417,037. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
IN SOME MINIVANS, WATER AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS (DIRT, SALT, ETC.) CAN ENTER INTO THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DUE TO A MISSING BODY SEALER.
The risk
THIS COULD CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT THE REAR WIRE HARNESS. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE REAR LIGHTING SYSTEM, REVERSE PARK-AID SYSTEM, OR TRAILER TOW ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. A SUSTAINED SHORT CIRCUIT CAN RESULT IN MELTED CONNECTORS AND POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND SURROUNDING AREA FOR ABSENCE OF BODY SEALING AND CORROSION. IF CORROSION IS PRESENT, DEALERS WILL SERVICE THE BODY GAPS, REPAIR CORRODED CONNECTORS, AND APPLY A PROTECTIVE PATCH TO THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND BODY HOLE. IF CORROSION IS NOT PRESENT BUT THE BODY SEALER IS MISSING, DEALERS WILL SERVICE THE BODY GAPS AND APPLY A PROTECTIVE PATCH TO THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND BODY HOLE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 5, 2002. 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 1-866-436-7332.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Ford Windstar | 1,686 | 16 | 62 | 66 |
| 2000 Ford Windstar | 1,675 | 16 | 55 | 62 |
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 02V072000.
Full record for the 2001 Ford Windstar → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →