Ford announces four recalls covering 576,000 vehicles in US
The various recalls cover Ford's SUVs, Lincoln SUVs and passenger cars for different reasons.
On Friday, Ford issued four new recalls that cover 10 nameplates in total across the US and Canada. In the US, 576,595 vehicles are affected by one of three recalls, while the fourth is exclusive to Canadian cars.
Missing seat restraints
The first recall is for a lack of seat restraints and covers 483,325 vehicles in the US and another 58,712 in Canada. Per Ford's announcement, the 2018-2020 F-150, 2019-2020 F-Series Super Duty, 2018-2019 Explorer and 2019-2020 Expedition are affected. Specifically, models with a manual driver or front passenger seatback recliner mechanism may house the defect. The new 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator are also part of this recall, but only models with rear outboard seats that feature manual recliners are included.
The problem? The vehicles might not have a third pawl to produce the required amount of seatback strength. In the event of a crash, a weak seatback may not restrain a passenger properly and increases the risk of injury. Affected models were produced as early as September 2018 and as late as Aug. 2 of this year. Owners will need to take their vehicles to a dealership where a technician will inspect the seatback assemblies, though Ford said they most likely will not need repairs. If a vehicle does, the dealer will install a new seat structure that meets guidelines for strength and integrity at no charge.
Loss of power steering in cold-weather states
Ford's second recall covers vehicles in states and Canadian provinces with "high-corrosion conditions." Read: lots of snow and plenty of road salt. Due to improper wax coating, corrosion may affect the steering gear motor's bolts and lead to the loss of power steering. If it's bad enough, the motor may become loose and detach from the housing. This recall affects the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ , 2015-2016 Ford Edge and the 2015 Lincoln MKX .
The sudden loss of power steering would require more steering effort, especially when cruising at lower speeds, and can increase the risk of a crash. Ford plans to replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a new wax sealant to fend off corrosion. If bolts are already broken or missing, the vehicle will receive a new steering gear altogether at no charge to the owner.
Overheating brake pads
The third recall is exclusive to the 2019 Ford Fiesta and involves brake caliper seal contamination. Per the automaker, the subcompact car may have been exposed to incorrectly labeled fluids during production. The exposure could produce a brake caliper leak, which in turn, may reduce brake functions and cause pads to overheat. Both cases increase the risk of a crash.
Only 2,624 cars are involved in this recall, and Ford said just 50 of them have been delivered to customers. The rest are still sitting at dealerships and will be fixed prior to sale. The fix will see technicians flush the current brake fluid and replace brake calipers free of charge.
Corroded battery junction boxes
The final recall is exclusive to Canada and covers 2012-2013 Ford Fiesta models. In total, 13,564 cars may have corroding battery junction boxes in certain provinces. Relay or fuse corrosion may lead to the loss of low-beam headlights while driving and daytime running lights may not work. Ford plans to have technicians clean the junction boxes, replace any corroded fuses, terminals and relays and finally install foam sealing to the cover to better protect the component.
