Ford Motor Company: Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate › Support Device/Strut
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 19, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 2,200. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LIFTGATE ASSIST GAS CYLINDER BRACKET ON THE RIGHT HAND BODYSIDE OUTER PANEL WAS INCORRECTLY WELDED.
The risk
THE GAS CYLINDER BRACKET MAY NOT PROPERLY SUPPORT THE LIFTGATE INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE BRACKET ATTACHMENT WITH TWO POP RIVETS.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Mercury Mountaineer | 328 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| 1996 Ford Explorer | 1,450 | 11 | 37 | 197 |
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 97V137000.
Full record for the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →