Mercury Recalls

On certain minivans and passenger vehicles, a restraint control module (RCM) or a side or front crash sensor may have been assembled with one or more of the screws that mount the circuit board in the housing missing. If some or all of the screws are missing, the performance of the occupant restraint could be affected, providing less than the intended level of protection in the event of a crash.

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5-liter V6 engines, the battery cable was misrouted and its attachment to the alternator cable was under-torqued. If misrouted, the cable could contact the power steering line and the insulation could wear, resulting in an electrical short. The short could potentially result in a fire, stalling, or a condition under which the vehicle does not start.

On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, due to the use of incorrect material by a supplier, the headlamp switch knob can fracture and separate from the headlamp switch. This would cause difficulty for the driver to activate the headlamps, which could affect driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals, if the grease from the adjustable pedal assembly enters the stop lamp switch, it can contaminate the contacts leading to carbon build up, and potentially, a short circuit. A short circuit could lead to either the brake lamps staying on or to a loss of brake lamp function, increasing the risk of a crash.

On certain sport utility vehicles, the right side tires may have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly. Over time, the tire could fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans equipped with seat belts supplied by TRW, it is possible that the driver's and/or outboard front passenger's seat belt buckle may not fully latch In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. The vehicles equipped with these belts include Ford Crown Victorias built at St. Thomas Assembly Plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01; Mercury Grand Marquis built at St. Thomas Assembly Plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01; Lincoln Town Cars built at Wixom Assembly Plant from 3/27/00 - 5/30/01; Lincoln Navigators built at Michigan Truck Plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01; Ford Windstars built at Oakville Assembly Plant from 3/23/00 - 5/30/01; Ford Rangers built at Twin Cities Plant from 3/28/00 - 5/30/01 and also at the Edison Plant from 3/13/00 - 5/25/01; Ford F-150 trucks built at the Norfolk Plant from 4/18/00 - 5/25/00, at the Onta...

On certain passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks, a switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, smoke, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: Atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; Chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; Kansas City plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; Kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; Michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; Norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; Wayne Stamping and Assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and Wixom plant from 2/...

On certain minivans, the plastic trim cover around the base of the front seat safety belt buckle may become trapped between the shoulder of the restraint anchorage bolt and the seat pedestal. This could eventually allow the seat belt buckle bolt to loosen and, in the event of a crash, the occupant seated in that location may not be adequately restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.

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.