Ford Motor Company: Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jan 21, 1998 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 506,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN FLASH INTERMITTENTLY AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING. THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS CAN GO OUT FOR BRIEF INTERVALS.
The risk
LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION CAN AFFECT A DRIVER'S ABILITY TO NAVIGATE THE ROADWAY AND REDUCE THE VISIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT INCORPORATES A CRICUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND WIRING, IF NEEDED.
8 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Ford Taurus | 923 | 5 | 23 | 51 |
| 1994 Lincoln Continental | 190 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| 1994 Lincoln Mark Viii | 167 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 1994 Mercury Sable | 387 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| 1993 Ford Taurus | 1,557 | 8 | 49 | 54 |
| 1993 Lincoln Continental | 121 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1993 Lincoln Mark Viii | 239 | 4 | 7 | 16 |
| 1993 Mercury Sable | 674 | 8 | 7 | 21 |
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 98V009000.
Full record for the 1994 Ford Taurus → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →