Ford Motor Company: Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 22, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 73,500. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
WHEN IN THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, THE DRIVER DOOR LATCHES MAY OPEN WHEN SUBJECTED TO TRANSVERSE LOADS LESS THAN THAT SPECIFIED IN FMVSS NO. 206, "DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS."
The risk
THE DRIVER'S DOOR, WHEN CLOSED ONLY TO THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, MAY NOT SUSTAIN A 1,000 POUND TRANSVERSE LOAD.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH.
7 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Aerostar | 104 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 1996 Ford Crown Victoria | 276 | 12 | 16 | 13 |
| 1996 Ford Explorer | 1,450 | 11 | 37 | 197 |
| 1996 Ford Thunderbird | 233 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 1996 Lincoln Town Car | 259 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| 1996 Mercury Cougar | 62 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis | 239 | 6 | 19 | 9 |
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 96V070000.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Aerostar → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →