Vehicle recall 04V106000 · March 2, 2004
Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus
Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. Owner notification is expected to begin on April 5, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
- Notes
- Ford recall no. 04S12.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 04V106000
- Reported to NHTSA
- March 2, 2004
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Manufacturer campaign
- 04S12
- Owner notification
- April 5, 2004
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 938,789
- Initiated by
- NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
- Components
- Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Ford Taurus (2000-2003): 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
- Mercury Sable (2000-2003): 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Has your Ford been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. Recall repairs are free.