Ford Motor Company: Structure › Frame and Members
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Dec 16, 1998 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 2,697,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGNIA, AND WISCONSIN. THE REAR LOWER SUBFRAME MOUNT PLATE NUT CAN EXPERIENCE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING IF SUBJECTED TO LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALTS. THIS CAN RESULT IN FRACTURE AND LOSS OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE SUBFRAME MOUNT ATTACHMENT. DETACHMENT OF THE BODY MOUNTS AT THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME, WHICH SUPPORTS THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, ALLOWS THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME TO DROP.
The risk
IF BOTH REAR CORNERS DROP, STEERING WOULD BECOME SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT, AFFECTING VEHICLE CONTROL AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL SUBFRAME REAR MOUNT BOLTS, REINFORCEMENT PLATES, AND PLATE NUTS.
17 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Ford Taurus | 1,205 | 6 | 54 | 60 |
| 1995 Mercury Sable | 350 | 6 | 14 | 11 |
| 1994 Ford Taurus | 923 | 5 | 23 | 51 |
| 1994 Lincoln Continental | 190 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| 1994 Mercury Sable | 387 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| 1993 Ford Taurus | 1,557 | 8 | 49 | 54 |
| 1993 Lincoln Continental | 121 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1993 Mercury Sable | 674 | 8 | 7 | 21 |
| 1992 Ford Taurus | 681 | 6 | 21 | 52 |
| 1992 Lincoln Continental | 126 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 1992 Mercury Sable | 364 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 1991 Ford Taurus | 649 | 5 | 21 | 43 |
| 1991 Lincoln Continental | 203 | 3 | 19 | 5 |
| 1991 Mercury Sable | 221 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
| 1990 Ford Taurus | 381 | 8 | 23 | 29 |
| 1990 Lincoln Continental | 158 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
| 1990 Mercury Sable | 166 | 7 | 18 | 12 |
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 98V323000.
Full record for the 1995 Ford Taurus → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →