Ford Recalls Affect Nearly 1M Vehicles

In the last week, Ford has issued five safety recall notices for nearly 1 million cars and trucks, including the Fusion, Fiesta, Edge, Escape, Focus, Transit Connect, F-150 and Lincoln MKZ. The Ford Fiesta and Lincoln MKZ have both been recalled twice in the last week.

The largest of the recalls affects nearly 520,000 2013-2015 model-year Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars, as well as some 2015 Ford Edge vehicles. This recall affects vehicles in North American states that use road salt for snow removal. Salt-related corrosion can cause steering gear motor attachment bolts to fracture, Ford said, and this can lead to the steering system defaulting to manual steering mode.

As a result, the vehicle will become more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds. Ford said it isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition. Dealers will replace the steering gear motor attachment bolts with new bolts, seal them and replace damaged steering gear at no cost to the customer.

Ford issued a recall for more than 50,000 vehicles in North America so dealers can replace their fuel delivery modules. The vehicles affected include 2014 model-year Ford Focus, Edge, Escape and Transit Connect, as well as 2014-2015 Ford Fiesta vehicles.

The problem stems from improper nickel-plating of components within the fuel pump. If the fuel pump seizes, the vehicle will not start. If the pump fails when the engine is already running, the vehicle will stall. Ford said it is aware of one alleged accident related to this problem. Vehicle owners will not be charged for the recall repair service.

Approximately 22,600 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles were recalled for an issue with the park lamp. When the headlamps are on, the park lamps are brighter than regulations allow and may affect the vision of oncoming drivers, according to Ford. Dealers will update the body control module software at no cost to the customer.

Ford also issued a safety recall for approximately 100 F-150 trucks for a potential underbody heat shield issue. Certain underbody heat shields may be improperly installed or missing, increasing the risk of fire, said Ford. Ford is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to this condition. Dealers will inspect for missing underbody heat shields and fasteners and will install missing components at no cost for customers.

Ford has also expanded its door latch safety recall to include approximately 156,000 more vehicles, bring the total to 545,906 vehicles. The door latch in certain vehicles may experience a broken pawl spring tab, which can result in a condition where the door will not latch — the door could potentially unlatch while driving, said Ford.

Affected vehicles include certain 2011-2014 Fiesta vehicles, certain 2013-2014 Fusion vehicles and certain 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.

Due to the high volume of recalls issued this week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has advised owners of affected vehicles to watch for notification from Ford and get their vehicle fixed as soon as possible.