Ford Motor Company: Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 17, 1999 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 4,569. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WHICH UTILIZE A PARK/LOCK SOLENOID. IT IS POSSIBLE TO ROTATE THE IGNITION KEY TO THE LOCK POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT THE SHIFT LEVER AND TRANSMISSION BEING IN PARK. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 114, "THEFT PROTECTION."
The risk
THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH AND POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES. VEHICLES THAT HAVE UNITS WITH IGNITION KEYS REMOVABLE IN GEAR POSITIONS OTHER THAN PARK, WILL HAVE THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Ford Contour | 419 | 5 | 9 | 28 |
| 1999 Mercury Mystique | 128 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
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 99V060000.
Full record for the 1999 Ford Contour → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →