Ford Motor Co. issued several recalls Wednesday, including one covering more than 1.2 million Ford Explorer SUVs that could be at risk of losing steering control.
The automaker said that 2011-17 model-year Explorers built from May 17, 2010, through Jan. 26, 2017, will be recalled after the company discovered a defect that could cause a fractured rear suspension leading to the loss of steering control. That, in turn, raises the risk of a crash.
The Explorer recall will cost the automaker about $180 million, according to a regulatory filing.
The company also recalled about 123,000 Ford F-150 pickups equipped with 5-liter and 6.2-liter gas engines that were insufficiently repaired in a previous recall. The pickups may be subject to a sudden transmission downshift that could cause them to lose control, causing a crash.
The F-150s had previously gotten a powertrain control module software fix, but it turned out to be “incomplete,” Ford said in a statement.
“It did not have the updates necessary to prevent a potential unintended downshift into first gear or the updates necessary to ensure illumination of the malfunction indicator light in the event of an intermittent transmission output speed sensor signal,” Ford said.
The F-150 pickups affected by the recall were built between May 7, 2012, and Oct. 27, 2013, at the company’s Dearborn, Michigan plant and between April 18, 2012, and Nov. 18, 2013, at the company’s Kansas City, Missouri area plant.
The company also recalled about 4,300 2009-16 Ford Econoline vehicles to fix faulty welding.
Read more at usatoday.com.
