Ford Recalls

On certain minivans, water and other contaminants (dirt, salt, etc.) can enter into the right rear passenger compartment due to a missing body sealer This could cause a short circuit in the electrical connector at the rear wire harness. A short circuit can lead to malfunction of the rear lighting system, reverse park-aid system, or trailer tow electrical system. A sustained short circuit can result in melted connectors and potentially lead to a fire.

Certain Windstar minivans built with instrument clusters without a "message center" fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 118, "Power-operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems." If the key is placed in the "Accessory" position and remains there for more than 70 seconds, all accessories connected to the accessory relay, including the power windows, remain operable when the key is moved to the "OFF" position, even after either front door is opened. The standard requires that power operated windows may be closed only when the key is in the "On," "Start," or "Accessory" positions, or during the interval between the time the key is turned off, and the opening of either of the vehicle's front doors.

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 4.6-liter engines, a coolant flow blockage exists at the intake manifold heater core nipple, resulting in no coolant flow to the heater and, therefore, no warm air flow from the heater or windshield defroster. Vehicles with this condition do not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems." Loss of visibility could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.

On certain passenger vehicles, the Child Safety Seat Anchor Latch (ISO-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the ISO-fix anchor. The sealer on the floor pan could cause a soft joint and, even if the nuts are properly torqued, road vibrations could cause the nut to loosen and separate from the stud. The anchor may not hold the child safety seat in position during an accident, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant of the child safety seat.

On certain sport utility vehicles with steel hoods and certain pickup trucks equipped with sheet molding compound hoods, a wire-formed hood striker could be susceptible to fatigue fractures. If the hood striker fractures, the hood could fly open while the vehicle is being driven. A hood fly-up while the vehicle is being operated could result in reduced driver visibility and a crash.

Certain minivans fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems." During testing, a third row bench floor-to-seat latch released before the strength requirement was met. If the latches on the second or third row seats of the vehicle release in a crash, the potential for occupant injury is increased.

On certain natural gas vehicles, if a flame from a vehicle interior fire becomes locally directed at the natural gas fuel tank located immediately behind the rear seat, the flame could damage the fiberglass wrap on the tank, weakening the tank. If the strength of the tank is significantly compromised, it could rupture.

On certain passenger vehicles, the air filter paper can smolder or burn. This can lead to damage to the air induction system on these vehicles and/or an underhood fire.

Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. This malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. This could cause confusion to a following driver, which could lead to a crash. In addition, if the switch and/or associated wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not actuate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of "Park." If they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be activated. This could also cause the battery to discharge.

The certification label on the involved vehicles has incorrect rear tire inflation pressure designations. This does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) #120, "Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles other than Passenger Cars".