Ford Motor Company: Structure › Body › Hood
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Oct 20, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 769,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS. TEARING OF THE BOND BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS DURING MINOR FRONT END COLLISIONS CAN RESULT IN A GAP AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. AIR FORCED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PANELS CAN PRODUCE ENOUGH PRESSURE TO FORCE THE OUTER PANEL UPWARD.
The risk
THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN TOTAL SEPARATION OF THE OUTER HOOD PANEL.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HOOD AREA FOR ANY DAMAGE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, THE HOOD WILL BE REPLACED. IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, ADDITIONAL ADHESIVE WILL BE APPLIED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Mustang | 246 | 12 | 6 | 17 |
| 1996 Ford Windstar | 1,386 | 9 | 45 | 60 |
| 1995 Ford Mustang | 602 | 16 | 29 | 48 |
| 1995 Ford Windstar | 3,326 | 8 | 50 | 136 |
| 1994 Ford Mustang | 356 | 13 | 19 | 22 |
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 97V180000.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Mustang → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →