Ford Recall - Information & Updates

The Australian car maker has issued the safety recall for 8798 of its imported Escape - models with the 3-litre V6 with cruise control only - built between November 1st 2001 and February 1st 2006, over a problem with the cruise control cable and the engine cover.Ford Australia spokesman Martin Gunsberg said the recall relates to 18,480 vehicles across that Asia Pacific and Africa region. "A similar recall was issued relating to left-hand drive versions of this vehicle with the same issue earlier this year," he said.The recall notice said the possibility of "inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the cruise control cable" which could allow "the engine to be stuck at full power when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed.The company's recall notice also said a throttle that is stuck fully or almost fully open may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle. The problem may occur "regardless of whether the cruise control is being used or not."Owners are being advised by the carmaker, who is writing to those owners affected, to contact a Ford dealership for inspection and rectification. The notice also warns driver to avoid near or full-throttle pedal pressure in a bid to reduce the chances of the dangerous problem occurring."If a driver experiences a stuck throttle, the driver should firmly and steadily apply the brakes without pumping the brake pedal, shift to neutral, steer the vehicle to a safe location and switch the engine off after the vehicle has completely stopped," the recall notice said.Ford in the US is recalling nearly 485,000 Escape V6 SUVs to fix sticking accelerator pedals after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 68 complaints relating to 13 crashes, nine injuries and one death, however Ford Australia has received no reports of the issue occurring here.For further information, contact Ford's customer relationship centre on 1800 503 672. 

More than 1.1 million cars have been called back to dealers for rectification work that varies from serious (a brake failure) to silly (windscreen wipers).And although 2014 is likely to be the first big sales dip since the Global Financial Crisis, the number of new car sold is also likely to top 1.1 million.The last time more cars were recalled than sold in a year was 2001.It's been a bad year for recalls globally too.General Motors has recalled 2.59 million cars because of an ignition fault so far linked to at least 30 deaths, as part of a recall of 13.8 million cars this year for other ignition problems or keys slipping out of position.But the biggest of all is the Takata airbag recall which has so far been linked to six deaths after shrapnel fired from the airbags.It's a big problem because Takata supplies 20 per cent of the world's airbags and it has taken in cars made by Honda, Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.More than 18 million cars around the world have been recalled for the Takata airbag problem including 110,000 in Australia.Meantime the dubious honour of most recalls this year is a dead heat between Holden and Jeep with a record 14 each. Never before has any brand recalled so many cars in one year.Market leader Toyota was next with nine recalls ahead of Mitsubishi 8, Nissan 6, Ford 4, Volkswagen 4, Hyundai 3, Mazda 3, Land Rover 3 and Peugeot with 2.Then again the year isn't quite over yet. There may be more.

Ford has issued a recall on the Ford Territory for a defective impact sensor. The recall on the Ford SZ Territory is to fix a problem with the vehicle's left-hand C-pillar side impact sensor.The recall notice says there is a possibility that a sensor that forms part of the vehicle's supplemental restraint system may not have been secured.This could mean that in the event of a side collision, the side curtain airbag may not operate correctly, possibly resulting in serious injury to the occupant.Ford says only a small number of the vehicles are affected. The problem occurred in 134 Territorys built between 29 March  - 26 April 2012.

The Federal Government's recall website has urged drivers of certain Ford Falcons and Territorys to not adjust their steering wheel in case it causes the engine to shut down.

Latest research reveals 77 per cent of prospective buyers can recall a Ford ad, and 72 per cent a Holden ad.The two brands top the latest Roy Morgan Automotive Currency research, which identifies car buying intentions over the next four years. Roy Morgan Research industry communications director Norman Morris says Ford, Holden and Toyota “remain the most recalled brands, although Toyota has declined by 5% points over the last 2 years.”This week Toyota also lost its MVP crown falling back to second place in the ‘world's most valuable’ car brand rankings. The research indicates that Japanese brand ad recall has dropped due to forced cuts in spending for advertising and marketing.Morris says, “with many of the Japanese manufacturers forced to cut their ad spend as a result of the March 2011 Tsunami & earthquake, it’s not surprising to see that ad recall for the Japanese brands is down across the board.”Korean brands performed well in the study, with Hyundai maintaining a solid 59 per cent and Kia rising to 49 per cent. Volkswagen has been the major mover, jumping from 40 per cent in 2010 to 50 per cent in 2012, with 300,000 more people recalling a Volkswagen ad in this period. This pushes Volkswagen up from spot 11, to a tied 9 with Nissan.Morris says with so many “automotive brands available to choose from, multiple new or face lifted models hitting the market each month and budgets tightening – memorable, targeted communication is increasingly vital.” The research suggests that if an automotive brand is spending millions of dollars on media, but is unable to improve their ad recall figure amongst their target audience; their message is being “lost.” The study of 5657 people was conducted by Roy Morgan Research, focussing on the 12 largest automotive brands sold in Australia.

Ford is recalling 3256 of its FGII Falcon EcoLPi sedans and utes due to a production error that means they may be missing an o-ring seal between the fuel delivery module and the wiring connector insert of the LPG tank.The carmaker says the missing seal means gas could leak from the LPG tank, posing a potential fire risk.The affected sedans were built in Ford's Victorian facility between August 4, 2011 and July 18, 2012; and the utes between September 15, 2011 and July 18, 2012.Ford is contacting owners of the vehicles, but advises that until the problem is rectified, the cars should not be parked in confined areas.Concerned owners can contact their nearest Ford dealership to have their cars inspected and the fix implemented, or can contact Ford's Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672 for more information.

Faulty welding on towbars has forced Ford Australia to recall more than 16,000 Ranger utes.Although no accidents have been reported, there is the potential for the vehicle to lose its trailer when towing. The recall applies to 16,287 Rangers built in Thailand from September 2006 to June last year.The recall notice stated: “Fracturing of the towbar tongue welding can affect safe operation and handling when an affected vehicle is towing, presenting a potential traffic hazard to the driver and/or other road users”. A Ford spokesman said the fault originated in the company’s Thailand production plant.The company has written to owners of PJ and PK Ranger XLT and Wildtrak models advising them not to tow with the vehicles and to contact their nearest dealer to have the unit replaced. All of the 4244 PJ vehicles affected are XLT models; while around 1200 of the 11,812 newer PK models are the top-range Wildtrak version, with the rest XLTs.The recall does not apply to the PX Ranger now on sale. Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald said that 3000 replacement towbars had already been shipped to dealers and more stock was arriving at a rate of 600 a week.At that rate it will take 22 weeks to replace all of the faulty towbars. “It’s only an issue if you are using the vehicle to tow, it is safe to continue driving normally,” he said. “A Queensland customer noticed a crack in the weld and our engineering department has verified it is an issue on those vehicles.“It’s a half-day fix to replace the towbar assembly - the rear step bumper isn’t affected.” Ranger owners who are unsure if the recall applies to them should call Ford on 1800 503 627. 

Mazda’s slogan might be “zoom zoom” but it took seven days longer than Ford to announce an identical recall for a jammed throttle -- for a car made on the same production line.Mazda is recalling 26,000 Tribute SUVs made between December 2000 and February 2007 because, according to the Federal Government’s recall website, “the engine be stuck at full power when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed.“A throttle that is stuck fully or almost fully open may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle. This risk exists regardless of whether or not cruise control is being used.” Only models powered by the 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine are affected. There may be inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the cruise control cable, the safety bulletin says.Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver told News Limited: “The reason we took longer was to make sure we had the repair procedures in place … and ensure we had enough parts to supply. “We have sold more than triple the number of cars than Ford in that period.”Ford Australia last week announced a recall of 8798 Escape SUVs built between November 2001 and February 2006. Ford and Mazda, longtime joint venture partners, built the same cars on the same production line in Japan, although the last 2000 Mazda Tributes caught up in the recall in Australia came from a factory in Taiwan. Both Mazda and Ford say there are no reports of cruise control or accelerators jamming on in Australia.In North America, where the recall originated, Ford is recalling 484,000 Escape models while Mazda is recalling 217,000 Tribute SUVs. Both companies say the free repair work takes less than one hour but customers may need to leave their cars for longer to cope with the log-jam.Meanwhile Jeep is recalling more than 900,000 Cherokee 4WDs, including up to 11,000 in Australia sold between 2002 and 2004, because the airbag could go off unintentionally. Safety authorities report there have been more than 200 instances of Jeep airbags going off without warning.The latest recalls pale compared to Toyota’s famous 2010 recall of 9 million cars in North America – the biggest in the automotive industry – because of concerns of stuck accelerator pedals and/or jammed floormats. In May that year, Ford Australia recalled 5000 sets of floormats for its Territory SUV for a similar issue.'

The recall is for the rear seatback latch strap on Ford PX Ranger Double Cabs sold between 23rd May 2011 - 13th February 2012, and affects 4258 vehicles in Australia and 957 in New Zealand.The recall notice says the rear seatback latch fitted to affected vehicles may not engage correctly, resulting in the rear seatback latch not being secured to the body striker and causing the rear seatback to fall forward.The defect poses a safety hazard to passengers, and owners are warned not to use a rearward-facing child seat in the vehicle until the defect is fixed. Ford spokesman Neil McDonald says there has been only one field report on the problem - a customer notification that something was wrong with the latch - but no accidents have been reported.“The fix is to fit a new metal ring for the rear seatback latch strap,” McDonald says. “It’s relatively minor fix bit quite important. “It will take less than half a day to do, but customers should check with their dealers to ensure they get the earliest possible slot.”It’s the second recall on the Ford Ranger within months, with an August notice issued on 16,287 Rangers built in Thailand from September 2006 to June 2011 for a defect that risked fracturing of the towbar welding.Ford is writing to the owners of PX Rangers affected by the current recall, advising them to  contact their Ford authorised dealership for inspection and rectification. For further information, contact any authorised Ford Dealer or Ford Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672.