Ford Motor Company: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 4, 2002 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 250,283. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. DURING ASSEMBLY, SOME BRAKE LINES WERE INSTALLED IN A TWISTED POSITION, CAUSING CONTACT WITH THE DASH PANEL INSULATOR ABOVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS CONTACT COULD ABRADE THE BRAKE LINE CORROSION PROTECTION, CONSEQUENTLY, SALT OR WATER ABSORBED IN THE DASH PANEL INSULATOR WOULD PROMOTE CORROSION. THIS CORROSION COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A LEAK IN THE BRAKE LINE.
The risk
LEAKAGE OF BRAKE FLUID WILL RESULT IN BRAKE LIGHT ACTIVATION. EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE COULD ALSO RESULT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE LINE FOR CORROSION AND CLEARANCE CONDITIONS. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS NOT CORRODED WILL BE REPOSITIONED. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS CORRODED OR LEAKING WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NYLON COATED BRAKE LINE AND SECURED USING THREE RETAINING CLIPS TO ASSURE CLEARANCE FROM THE INSULATOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 10, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Windstar | 1,386 | 9 | 45 | 60 |
| 1995 Ford Windstar | 3,326 | 8 | 50 | 136 |
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 02V101000.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Windstar → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →