Ford Motor Company: Vehicle Speed Control › Cables
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Dec 8, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 38,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL OPTION. THE THROTTLE CABLES WERE DAMAGED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY LEADING TO FRAYING OR SEPARATION OF THE THROTTLE CABLE.
The risk
THIS CONDITION COULD PREVENT THE ENGINE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE WITH A REVISED DESIGN THAT IS LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BENDING OR KINKING DURING INSTALLATION.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Contour | 563 | 11 | 24 | 35 |
| 1996 Mercury Mystique | 185 | 10 | 12 | 7 |
| 1995 Ford Contour | 891 | 12 | 65 | 39 |
| 1995 Mercury Mystique | 335 | 12 | 15 | 13 |
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 97V225000.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Contour → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →