Four new Ford recalls cover driveshafts, door hinges, fire risks
The recalls affect about half a million vehicles combined.
Ford is no stranger to issuing batches of recalls. Its latest round includes three safety recalls and one safety compliance recall.
The whole cluster of 'em covers nearly 500,000 vehicles across North America. Crossovers, vans, sedans, hatchbacks and trucks are all included. Only one of the recalls is an expansion of a previous recall.
Recall the first: A chance of engine bay fires
Ford's first recall affects about 230,000 vehicles, all of which are equipped with 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 engines. The recalled vehicles include the 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect.
The issue relates to the cooling system. A lack of proper coolant circulation may cause these engines to overheat. If an engine overheats, it may crack a cylinder head, which can leak pressurized oil. Add a hot surface into the mix, and you introduce a chance of engine fires. So far, Ford is aware of 29 reports of engine fires.
Ford will first send affected owners literature regarding checking and refilling coolant. The automaker says the cars are fine to drive, but to watch out for coolant leaks and monitor coolant levels. To fix the issue, dealerships will add a coolant level sensor.
Recall the second: Expanding door-latch recall
Ford's second recall expands on an earlier recall involving door latches. It's adding another 211,000 vehicles to the mix, including the 2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion and the 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ.
In these vehicles, a component called a pawl spring tab has a chance of breaking. If it does, the door might not be able to close correctly. A door that isn't properly shut could become a big ol' safety hazard in the event of a collision. Thankfully, Ford hasn't received any reports of injuries related to this issue.
The fix is rather easy. Ford will replace all four door latches on every affected vehicle with a stronger version, which should prevent any spring tab breakage in the future.
Recall the third: Truck driveshafts
This recall is a bit smaller than the previous two, covering just 548 examples of the 2017 Ford F-450 and F-550 heavy-duty pickup truck.
You can thank mechanical physics for this recall. Above 75 mph, the trucks' powertrain may resonate at a certain frequency that could stress the transmission or drivetrain to the point where parts may crack or otherwise become damaged. If that happens, the truck may lose the ability to accelerate, which is not ideal when moving at highway speeds.
Replacing the driveshaft is all it takes to remedy the problem. Dealerships will replace the current two-piece driveshaft in favor of a three-piece unit with two center bearing brackets.
Recall the fourth: Windshield header welds
Ford's final recall of the bunch affects just 111 examples of the 2017 Edge crossover.
The vehicles in question might be missing some sheet metal welds in the windshield header. This can negatively affect the car's structural integrity, which can increase the chance of injury in a side-impact collision. To date, Ford is unaware of any injuries related to this issue.
Ford will resolve the problem by repairing the windshield header.