The Blue Oval has issued two separate recalls that collectively involve nearly half a million vehicles in the States.
The first action concerns 205,896 units of the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004 and 2005 model years as they may have defective torque converter output shafts.
The company told the Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHSTA] that if the shafts were to fail, it could result in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning. Ford said that it will replace the torque converter free of charge with the safety recall expected to begin in the second calendar quarter of 2012.
The second recall affects 244,530 Ford Escape SUVs from the 2001 and 2002MY built from October 22, 1999, through July 19, 2002. In these models, the brake master cylinder reservoir cap may leak brake fluid onto the ABS module and potentially cause a short that could lead to a fire.
Ford said its dealers will replace the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and modify the ABS electrical system, with the company expected to notify owners starting from January 23. However, FoMoCo noted that due to a parts delay, it may not be able to fix the cars at that time.
“If parts are not available, Ford will instruct owners to park their vehicles outside until such time as parts become available,” the company told NHTSA in a statement.
PHOTO GALLERY
