Vehicle recall 96V166000 · September 5, 1996
Mercury Sable, Ford Taurus and 2 more models
The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
- Consequence
- Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
- Notes
- Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin September 23, 1996.NOTE:owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 96V166000
- Reported to NHTSA
- September 5, 1996
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Owner notification
- September 23, 1996
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 40,000
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)
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 (1996-1997): 1997, 1996
- Ford Windstar (1996): 1996
- Lincoln Continental (1997): 1997
- Mercury Sable (1996-1997): 1997, 1996
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.