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| Ford is recalling the 2014 Flex and other vehicles to fix a problem in the powertrain linkage. (Ford / Wieck) |
This
year’s record wave of automotive recalls continued Tuesday with Ford Motor Co.
calling back about 101,000 vehicles in North America -- including its Edge and
Flex sport-utility vehicles, for a variety of problems.
This
latest action demonstrates how automakers are recalling vehicles for major defects and minor issues.
The recalls
included more than 90,000 SUVs and sedans that can experience a linkage problem
that shuts off power to the wheels as well as just 368 Transit Connect
commercial vans because the brake fluid reservoir cap has a European rather
than U.S. label.
Automakers
have become sensitive to recalls after Toyota paid a $1.2 billion federal fine
this year for misleading regulators about defects and General Motors became the
target of numerous federal investigations for waiting about a decade to recall
cars with a faulty ignition system linked to more than 50 crashes and at least
13 deaths.
Ford’s
recalls bring the number of vehicles called back by automakers in the U.S. to
about 40 million this year, surpassing the previous high of 30.8 million set in
2004.
GM
accounts for about 26 million of the recalled autos. There also have been large
recalls by Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Honda and others. Without GM, the industry
has recalled about 14 million vehicles this year, about two-thirds of the
number all automakers recalled in the U.S. in all of last year, according to
data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Ford’s
action includes 92,022 Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Police Interceptor sedans, and
Flex and Lincoln MKT SUVs, all from the 2013-2014 model years. It also includes
2012-2014 model year Edge and 2014 MKX SUVs. linkage in the powertrain
to the right front wheel can break. When that happens, the engine still runs
but the wheels don’t get power.
Additionally, this condition may result in the
car rolling away from a parked position if the gearshift is placed in “park”
without the parking brake being activated. No accidents or injuries have been
attributed to this All of these vehicles have a potential problem where
the condition.
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