Ford Motor Company: Wheels
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on May 11, 1992 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 654,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CHILDREN CAN ACCIDENTALLY LOCK THEMSELVES IN THE FOOTWELL AREA OF THE REAR-FACING THIRD SEAT, OR IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN STATION WAGONS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPTIONAL THIRD SEAT. ONCE THE COMPARTMENT IS CLOSED IT CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE.
The risk
THERE IS A DANGER OF AIR DEPRIVATION, HYPERTHERMIA,AND/OR PANIC RESPONSE TO A CHILD WHO HAS LOCKED HIMSELF OR HERSELF INTO THECOMPARTMENT, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ASPHYXIATION.
The remedy
REPLACE THE SELF-LATCHING ASSEMBLY CURRENTLY USED IN THE REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT WITH A LATCH ASSEMBLY THAT CAN ONLY BE CLOSED WITH A KEY.
6 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Ford Taurus | 681 | 6 | 21 | 52 |
| 1992 Mercury Sable | 364 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 1991 Ford Taurus | 649 | 5 | 21 | 43 |
| 1991 Mercury Sable | 221 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
| 1990 Ford Taurus | 381 | 8 | 23 | 29 |
| 1990 Mercury Sable | 166 | 7 | 18 | 12 |
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 92V065000.
Full record for the 1992 Ford Taurus → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →