Ford Motor Company: Steering › Gear Box › Shaft Sector
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Sep 30, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 2,250. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI-VANS. THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEARS MAY HAVE DAMAGED INPUT SHAFT BEARINGS.
The risk
THIS CONDITION CAN INCREASE STEERING EFFORTS, AFFECTING STEERING CONTROL.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR, AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THOSE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLIES THAT FALL WITHIN THE SUSPECT DATE CODE RANGE. THE DATE CODES FOR WINDSTAR MODEL VEHICLES ARE 97JB09 OR 97JC08; THE DATE CODES FOR MUSTANG MODEL VEHICLES ARE 97J09B OR 97J08B.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Ford Mustang | 236 | 14 | 12 | 44 |
| 1998 Ford Windstar | 1,433 | 14 | 65 | 54 |
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 97V165000.
Full record for the 1998 Ford Mustang → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →