Ford Motor Company Recalls Over 380,000 Vehicles

Ford Motor Company has issued a safety recall last Wednesday involving more than 380,000 of their vehicles. The recall affects around 58,853 Canadian vehicles and is the third time a safety defect involving rear axles has been publicly announced by the automaker, this time involving approximately 340,000 Windstar minivans that were produced at the Ford assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario. 

Not sure whether your car, truck or van has been recalled? The following is a quick and comprehensive list of the vehicles associated with Ford's latest recall, along with their potential safety related concerns:
 

Ford Windstar (1998-2003): Rear Axle

The third recall alert on over 340,000 Ford Windstar minivans from 1998 through 2003 is due to a previous rear-axle recall repair that was not installed correctly. Back in 2010, over 600,000 of the minivans were recalled due to the inverted "U" channel design of the rear axle, which caused it to collect slurry from the road. This was followed by another recall in 2011 for the 1999-2003 models which was prompted by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration who raised the issue of corrosion.

During the announcement on September 30th, Ford mentioned that the Windstars were previously recalled in 2010 due to axle cracks that had potential to grow and lead to complete failure, increasing the risk of a crash. "There is a risk that the combined effects of corrosion and stress can lead to cracks in the axle that - if undetected - can grow and result in a complete fracture," Ford explained. The American multinational automaker has noted that while several accidents have been linked to the faulty rear-axle issues, no injuries have been recorded.
 

Ford F-150 (2015): Adaptive Cruise Control

Ford has recalled approximately 37,000 of their best-selling trucks from the 2015 model year due to possible issues with their adaptive cruise control radar, which can have an adverse effect on braking. The potential problem occurs when the F-150 is in "adaptive cruise control" mode, which applies the brakes if an obstacle is detected. Ford admits that if/when the pickup passes a large or highly reflective truck, the radar can be falsely alerted into thinking that the large truck is in the F-150's lane, upon which the brakes will be applied and the collision-warning system would be activated and sound the alarm in the F-150's cab. 

Ford has said that while they have awareness of one accident that could have been a result of this problem, there are no reported injuries related to this recall. Note: this problem can be addressed by applying a software update, which your local dealer can patch the adaptive cruise control software free of charge. 
 

Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ (2016): Fuel Tank 

Ford has issued an FMVSS 301 safety compliance recall for 700 of their 2016 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion sedans due to poorly made fuel tanks that have potential to crack and leak, increasing the risk of a fire. All the particular vehicles being recalled were built at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico between September 3 - 13th, 2015. 

Ford has said that they are not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires associated with this issue, and while they have yet to release an owner notification schedule, owners are encouraged to contact Ford directly at 866-436-7332 for more information and note that your local dealer will install a new fuel tank at no charge.

Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS (2015) + Ford Explorer (2016): Fuel Tank Attachment Bolt

A safety recall is being issued for the 2015 Ford Taurus & Lincoln MKS vehicles as well as the 2016 Ford Explorer due to a problematic fuel tank attachment. Over 250 of these vehicles manufacturered at the Chicago Assembly Plant have a fuel tank strap that is prone to break over loose bolts, which your local dealer can tighten at no cost. 
 

Ford F-53 and F-59 (2016): Shift Control Bracket

Over 1,500 of Ford's 2016 F-53 and F-59 vehicles built at the Detroit Chassis Plant in Michigan are getting recalled due to a poorly manufacturered shift control bracket. Ford admits that these faulty shift control brackets may cause the vehicle to shift into reverse without applying the brakes, resulting in an unwarranted vehicle response.

Owners are encouraged to contact Ford directly at 866-436-7332 for more information and note that your local dealer is obligated to install a new shift control bracket and adjust the shift cable for free. 

Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner (2001-2008): Transmission

Over 70 units of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner models from 2001–2008 with re-manufactured transmission are being recalled due to the possibility of loose shift control lever bolts in their transmissions. In this case, the shift control level bolt being loose can result in the shift lever to disengage from the transmission without warning and potentially cause an accident. 

While Ford has not reported any accidents related to this safety issue recall, you can contact them directly at 866-436-7332 if you're unsure whether your vehicle may be associated with this safety related concern. Affected owners should bring their vehicles into their local Ford dealer for a "shift control level bolt check" at no charge. 
 

Are you concerned about your Ford vehicle?

All Canadian owners are encouraged to contact Ford Canada HERE if there are any concerns.