Vehicles and Defects Involved

VEHICLES INVOLVED:

1981 through 1983 Escort and Lynx 4 door sedans and wagons with non-reclining front seats and 1984 Tempo and Topaz 4 door sedans with non-reclining front seats.

Two door sedans and 4 door sedans and wagons equipped with reclining front seats are not included in the recall.

DESCRIPTION OF DEFECT AND CORRECTION:

Ford Motor Company has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is initiating Safety Recall 489 to add a molded foam spacer between the front lower decorative plastic cover and the seat frame reinforcement on the vehicles identified on the enclosed listing. The front seat belts of these vehicles could be cut by the seat frame structure if the vehicles were involved in high-speed frontal impacts. The decorative plastic covers that are positioned over the seat frame reinforcement brackets may bend or break because of the tension of the belts against them during a crash. This may permit the belt webbing to contact the brackets and, in extreme cases, to be severed. The level of protection that the seat belts otherwise provide would be reduced and the risk of injury to occupants would be increased. To correct the condition, molded foam spacers are to be installed between the lower plastic decorative covers and the seat frame reinforcement brackets on both front seats.

* * IMPORTANT NOTE * *

OWNERS ARE TO BE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE SEAT BELTS BEFORE THE RECALL SERVICE IS PERFORMED - AND TO CONTINUE TO USE THE SEAT BELTS AFTER THE SERVICE IS COMPLETED. EVEN PRIOR TO THE RECALL MODIFICATION, THE SEAT BELTS WILL PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL PROTECTION TO OCCUPANTS IN ACCIDENTS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SEAT BELT PERFORMANCE IN OCCUPANT PROTECTION, OWNERS SHOULD BE URGED TO HAVE THIS RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED WITHOUT DELAY.
PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN IN ITS ENTIRETY AND CIRCULATE IT TO YOUR PARTS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL. ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING ITS CONTENT SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO YOUR SUPERVISING FORD LOCATION OR TO FDMO, WIXOM.