Ford Recall Affects Nearly Half a Million Vehicles

Ford has issued two recalls affecting over 440,000 vehicles in North America, including ones made here in Louisville, due to problems that might cause engine fires and unexpected door opening.

One recall affects 230,756 Escape SUVs, subcompact Fiesta ST cars, mid-size Fusion cars, and Transit Connect vans with 1.6-Liter turbocharged engines manufactured from 2013 through 2015.  Ford Motor Company says the engines can overheat enough that the cylinder head can crack, causing oil to leak,  which can catch fire.

Ford has had 29 reports of such fires, but nobody has been injured due to the defect so far.  The release says that owners of these vehicles may keep driving them but should go to a dealer if the cars overheat or frequently need coolant.

In a second round of recalls, Ford is adding an additional 210,619 vehicles to an existing recall to replace faulty door latches on 2014 Fiesta cars as well as 2013 and 2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars.  These vehicles have door latch component that could potentially break and allow the door to swing open while driving.  The company reports that it has not had any reports of crashes or injuries due to the issue.

Together, the recalls will cost the company around $295 million and bring the total number of vehicles affected by recent recalls to 570,000.