Vehicle recall 97V144000 · September 3, 1997
Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 1.9L engines, built at the hermosillo or wayne assembly plants and originally sold or currently registered in nevada,…
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 1.9L engines, built at the hermosillo or wayne assembly plants and originally sold or currently registered in nevada, florida, hawaii, texas, california, louisiana, georgia, south carolina, mississippi, oklahoma, alabama and arkansas. Cracks can develop in the fuel tank near the heat shield attachment resulting in fuel leakage if the cracks go through the fuel tank wall.
- Consequence
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the heat shield attachments. This will not affect heat shield location or function, as the attachments are intended to keep the shield in place until the fuel tank is installed in the vehicle. After installation, the fuel tank straps retain the heat shield.
- Notes
- Owner notification will begin September 30, 1997.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
- 97V144000
- Reported to NHTSA
- September 3, 1997
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Manufacturer campaign
- 97S79
- Owner notification
- September 30, 1997
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 64,000
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Ford Escort (1995): 1995
- Mercury Tracer (1995): 1995
Has your Ford been repaired?
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