Ford Recalls Half a Million SUVs and Minivans
Ford Motor Company is recalling more than half a million vehicles in two separate actions, according to a statement released Wednesday. The Dearborn, Michigan automakers, the United States' second-biggest, flaws in some of its SUVs can cause fires and an issue in some Ford and Mercury minivans can lead to a loss of power. Included in the recall are 286,000 model years 2001 and 2002 Ford Escape SUVs, as well as 253,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from 2004 and 2005, according to the company's filing with the National Highway T5ransportation Safety Administration.
The majority of the vehicles involved in the recall were sold to customers in the United States, a Ford spokesman said. This is the second recall of Ford Escapes for the same issue, after a similar recall in 2007, launched to repair a flaw in the anti-lock braking system, but some vehicles may not have been thoroughly inspected or repaired properly, Ford admitted in the filing. Apparently, some of the SUVs were equipped with a faulty master cylinder reservoir cap, which could leak brake fluid and short out the electric antilock brake system, leading to smoking or fire.
While there have been no reports of injuries caused by the issue, there have been reports of damage to property beyond the vehicle. The defective master cylinder reservoir cap was manufactured between 1999 and 2002 in a plant that is no longer operating. Ford said in a statement that while the likelihood of a fire is low, owners of these vehicles should park them outdoors away from buildings until they are brought in to an authorized service center, who will make repairs if necessary.
As for the recall on the Ford and Mercury minivans, the issue is a defective torque converter which can malfunction, causing the vehicle to lose power to the vehicle. Owners would still be able to steer and use the brakes, but could no longer accelerate in any gear. Ford discontinued the Mercury brand in 2010.
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