The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TEXT AND/OR GRAPHICS FOR THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
The risk
IF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE REPLACED, CUSTOMERS MAY BE CONFUSED BY THE AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES CAUSING THE HEADLAMPS TO BE IMPROPERLY AIMED.
The remedy
OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Contour | 1998 |
| Ford Taurus | 1997, 1998 |
| Lincoln Continental | 1998 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1998 |
| Lincoln Town Car | 1998 |
| Mercury Mystique | 1998 |
| Mercury Sable | 1997, 1998 |
Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Contour | 1998 | 846 | 9 |
| Ford Taurus | 1997 | 770 | 3 |
| Ford Taurus | 1998 | 545 | 2 |
| Lincoln Continental | 1998 | 72 | 1 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1998 | 192 | 5 |
| Lincoln Town Car | 1998 | 154 | 7 |
| Mercury Mystique | 1998 | 231 | 8 |
| Mercury Sable | 1997 | 228 | 3 |
| Mercury Sable | 1998 | 190 | 2 |
Other exterior lighting recalls in 1998
16 of the 367 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1998 concerned the exterior lighting; FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed 963 campaigns in all.
| 98V196002 7 Nov 1998 | DAMON CORPORATION |
| 98V097001 28 Sept 1998 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 98V234000 21 Sept 1998 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
| 98V218000 8 Sept 1998 | POLARIS INDUSTRIES, INC. |
| 98V212000 8 Sept 1998 | MITSUBISHI AMERICA |
| 98V196001 25 Aug 1998 | COACHMEN RV COMPANY |
| 96V253003 17 Aug 1998 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 96V253004 17 Aug 1998 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1998