Ford Issues Four Recalls Covering Nearly 600,000 Vehicles

(Ken Fager)

Just days after Ford bit the bullet and recalled nearly 400,000 vehicles under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a door latch issue, the automaker is at it again, issuing four recalls covering nearly 600,000 vehicles with an array of potential problems.

Ford announced today that it plans to recall 591,000 vehicles in North America for issues including difficulty steering, fuel pump seizure, and fire risks.

The first recall involves 518,313 model year 2013 to 2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ and some 2015 Ford Edge crossover vehicles equipped with steering gear motor attachment bolts that may break due to corrosion.

If the bolt breaks, the steering system in the car would default to manual mode, making it more difficult to steer. While Ford says that the issue does not cause total loss of steering, the problem can increase the likelihood of a crash.

The company is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the issue. Dealers will notify consumers and replace the bolts and any damaged steering gear.

The second recall involves 50,157 model year 2014 Ford Focus, Edge, Escape and Transit Connect vehicles and model year 2014 to 2015 Ford Fiesta vehicles that may have nickel plating that can cause the fuel pump to seize, leading to the vehicle failing to start or stalling while in motion.

The company says it is aware of one allegation of an accident that may be related to the issue, but provided no details on what occured. Dealers will replace the fuel delivery module for owners of affected vehicles.

Ford also issued a recall of 22,600 model year 2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles with headlights that might be brighter than regulations allow.

The company says that when the lights are activated they may affect the vision of oncoming drivers. So far, there have been no accidents or injuries reported related to the issue.

Dealers will update the body control module software to adjust the intensity of the lights.

The final recall involves a much small number of vehicles, just 91 model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks that may have an increased risk of catching fire.

The potential issue relates to certain underbody head shields that may be improperly installed or missing. Ford says it is unaware of injuries or fires related to the issue.

Dealers will inspect vehicles for missing heat shields and fasteners and install missing components as needed.

Ford Issues Four Safety Recalls In North America [Ford]