Ford recalls F-150 for instrument cluster, Focus for chassis integrity issues

Ford just issued two new recalls, covering two wildly different vehicle segments. In fact, these two recalls exist on opposite ends of a number of spectrums.

Recall the first: F-150 instrument cluster

Ford's first recall covers approximately 8,000 examples of the 2017 F-150 pickup truck. The affected vehicles were built in Dearborn and Kansas City, between October 4 and November 23 of last year. About 6,800 of these vehicles are in the US, with the rest spread across North America.

The problem here stems from the instrument cluster. Immediately after a cold start in cold ambient temperatures, the display may lose its functionality. If the shift position indicator doesn't light up, or if warning lights fail to display when necessary, this could lead to an increased chance of injury.

Thankfully, remedying the issue doesn't involve removing the dashboard and replacing the cluster. Instead, dealerships will simply reprogram the instrument cluster, which should prevent the problem from occurring.

Enlarge Image

Recall the second: Focus chassis joints

Ford's second recall of the day is a bit smaller. This one affects just 18 examples of the 2016 Ford Focus and Ford C-Max. The affected Focus models were built in Michigan between October 26 and 27 of last year, and all affected C-Max vehicles were built in the same location on just one day, October 26, 2016. All but one of these vehicles are in the US.

In this case, the problem relates to the chassis. Improper left-hand body apron joints, located on the floor pan, might reduce front-end structural integrity. If the chassis isn't as strong as it's billed to be, that could lead to an increased chance of injury in the event of a front-end collision.

Solving this problem involves inspecting and repairing the body apron joints in question, which the dealer will do at no charge to the customer.

Enlarge Image