Car Problem DataNHTSA records
NHTSA campaign 96V086000 · Part 573 safety recall report

Ford Motor Company: Power Train › Automatic Transmission

Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on May 14, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 100,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.

The defect

THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WAS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED WHEN THE ROLL PIN THAT RETAINS IT WAS INSTALLED DURING TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. IF THE SHAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED, THE ROLL PIN MAY NOT HAVE LINED UP WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SHAFT AND HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AT ASSEMBLY. ALSO, A BURR COULD HAVE BEEN RAISED ON THE SHAFT.

The risk

THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PARK PAWL OCCASIONALLY NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR DOES NOT APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE.

The remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PARK PAWL SHAFT ROLL PIN. IF THE ROLL PIN IS DAMAGED, BOTH THE ROLL PIN AND THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, OWNERS WILL BE REMINDED TO FULLY APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE, IN ADDITION TO PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK.

3 model years covered

Newest first
VehicleComplaintsRecallsFiresCrashes
1996 Ford Taurus82581269
1996 Ford Windstar1,38694560
1996 Mercury Sable30451020

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 96V086000.

Full record for the 1996 Ford Taurus → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →