490,000 Vehicles Recalled By Ford

About 490,000 vehicles have been recalled by Ford in order to fix defects which can cause fires or loss of power. According to statements from Dan Pierce, a Ford spokesman, this action covers 205,896 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans and 244,530 Ford Escape sport-utility vehicles in the U.S. and about 40,000 Escapes outside the U.S.

According to Ford the 2001 and 2002 model Escape SUVs may have brake-fluid leaks from the caps of their brake master cylinder reservoirs which could lead to corrosion that may cause fire. Pierce has said of the Escape recall "Ford has received a few reports of property damage beyond vehicle-only damage as a result of alleged vehicle fires."

He has also said the company isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the leaks. Ford is also recalling 2004 and 2005 model Freestar and Monterey minivans because the torque converter output shafts in their power trains could fail and cause sudden loss of power. Pierce has said of the Freestar and Monterey recall that two "minor" accidents are alleged to have resulted over eight years, with "minor" injuries in one and no injuries in the other.

As Ford moves aggressively to handle these recalls Pierce has also commented "Ford is committed to top quality and responding quickly for our customers concerning any safety issues." Ford continues to move quickly with these recalls and there is every reason to believe customer confidence in the firm overall will not erode.

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