Ford Motor Co, the world's second-largest automaker by sales, recalled more than 1.68 million sport-utility vehicles including its top-selling Explorer to fix speed-control cables and seat-frame bolts.
The moves include 1.68 million Explorer, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac and Mercury Mountaineer models from 1998 through last year because a driver-seat bolt may fracture, causing the seat to recline unexpectedly, Ford said in a statement. They also include 499,988 of the same models from 1999 through 2001 because speed-control cables may wear out early and fail to disengage.
Some of the vehicles may be in both recalls, the Dearborn, Michigan-based company said. No accidents or injuries have been reported from either problem, Ford said.
The two recalls, as well as a third for wheel cracks in police and taxi versions of the automaker's Crown Victoria sedan reported today by US regulators, are "wear-and-tear" issues, Ford spokesman Glenn Ray said. Ford, which has had net losses totaling US$6.4 billion in the past two years, has sought to improve quality after recalls and other problems involving vehicles including the 2002 Explorer. The Explorer leads US sport-utility sales, with 433,847 sold last year.
"Ouch," said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group Inc in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "Having such a large number of vehicles recalled at once is not the message to send to consumers."
The Crown Victoria recall includes 29,946 police and taxi versions because some wheels may develop cracks that can result in rapid loss of air from tires, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. That action covers this year's models with wheels produced from Aug. 18, 2001, through Sept. 22, of last year.
Ford learned of the Crown Victoria problem when a police car in Canada had a tire blowout, with no injuries resulting, Ray said. Ford received information about the seat-bolt problem from two US customers, he said. The automaker said it also learned of the potential problem with the speed-control cables through customer reports.
The Crown Victoria police version already faces lawsuits from law-enforcement agencies because of fuel leaks that have resulted in fatal fires and explosions. Ford yesterday said it would offer a fire-suppression system in those versions in 2005. The automaker has about 85 percent of the market for US police cars, with annual sales of about US$1.2 billion.
Ford shares fell US$0.01 to US$10.71 in NYSE composite trading at 3:26pm The stock has gained 15 percent this year.
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