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Vehicle recall 99V243000 · September 8, 1999

Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.

Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.

Summary
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag sensor wiring pigtail insulation can become brittle and crack over time due to accumulation of water in the pigtail protective convolute in combination with high underhood temperatures related to the routing of the wiring pigtail near the radiator. This can result in environmental stress cracking of the insulation.
Consequence
In some cases, the air bag warning light can illuminate and the air bag supplemental restraint system disabled.
Remedy
Dealers will install air bag sensors with revised wiring insulation. In addition, vehicles which have the air bag warning light illuminated will have a new air bag diagnostic monitor installed.
Notes
Ford recall no. 99S23. Owner notification began September 27, 1999.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 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Recall details

NHTSA campaign
99V243000
Reported to NHTSA
September 8, 1999
Filed by
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Manufacturer campaign
99S23
Owner notification
September 27, 1999
Vehicles potentially affected
280,481
Initiated by
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
Components
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Recall 99V243000 on nhtsa.gov, with the manufacturer’s documents

Vehicles covered

As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.

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.