Ford recalls almost 1.4 million cars in North America

WASHINGTON, USA: Ford Motor Company has issued safety recalls for nearly 1.4m cars in North America, mostly in the US, to fix potential steering and other problems.

The Ford Explorer is one of a number of models that are part of a recall of 1.4m cars in the USA, most of them related to problems with the power steering system. Image: Wikipedia

Ford said it was recalling about 915,200 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles because a torque sensor within the steering column may malfunction, resulting in the loss of electrically powered steering assistance.

In that case, the steering system defaults to the manual steering mode, making the vehicle more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds, which could increase the risk of a crash, Ford said.

The recall affects certain Escapes and Mariners, built between 2008 and 2011. About 736,400 were recalled in the United States; 134,500 in Canada; and 39,800 in Mexico.

A second recall affects roughly 195,500 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles, built between 2011 and 2013, that could have a problem with an intermittent electrical connection in the steering gear that could cause the loss power steering while driving.

Ford, the second-biggest car manufacturer in the USA, said that both recalls could affect additional vehicles in other markets. The company also issued a recall of about 196,600 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln
Zephyr and MKZ vehicles, built between 2010 and 2014, to replace a license plate lamp that could become corroded in a high-corrosion environment linked to the use road salt.

The lamp could short-circuit and cause a fire. A smaller recall, of about 82,500 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln
Zephyr and MKZ vehicles, was announced to replace certain driver's side floor mats that could be improperly installed, resulting in contact with the accelerator pedal.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge