Vehicle recall 97V165000 · September 30, 1997
Ford Mustang and Windstar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini-vans.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini-vans. The rack and pinion steering gears may have damaged input shaft bearings.
- Consequence
- This condition can increase steering efforts, affecting steering control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the date code on the rack and pinion steering gear, and, if necessary, replace those rack and pinion assemblies that fall within the suspect date code range. The date codes for windstar model vehicles are 97JB09 or 97JC08; the date codes for mustang model vehicles are 97J09B or 97J08B.
- Notes
- Owner notification began September 23, 1997.DEALERS were advised to stop sale of these vehicles until inspections could be performed and were to directly contact owners of any vehicles that have been delivered. 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
- 97V165000
- Reported to NHTSA
- September 30, 1997
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Owner notification
- October 27, 1997
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 2,250
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Ford Mustang (1998): 1998
- Ford Windstar (1998): 1998
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.