Ford Motor Company Fire Risk and Door Safety Recall
The Ford Motor Company recently announced the recall of over 570,000 vehicles. Potential vehicle fires are the reason for the recall of over 360,000 vehicles in North America and Europe. An additional 210,000 vehicles are being recalled because of faulty door latches.
Vehicle Fire Risk Recall
If you drive one of the vehicles on the Ford recall list and your vehicle overheats, leaks coolant, or frequently runs low on coolant you should take it to a Ford dealer to get it checked out. The dealer will install a coolant level sensor and a dashboard warning light that will indicate when the coolant level is low.
Without coolant circulation the vehicle’s engine will overheat, which could result in a cracked cylinder head. A crack in the cylinder head causes a pressurized oil leak. When the leaked oil makes contact with the hot engine surface it creates the risk of an engine fire. Thus far, in the United States and Canada, there have been 29 reports of engine fires because of this issue.
You should receive a letter from the Ford Motor Company with instructions on how to check and refill the coolant in the vehicle if you are the owner of one of the Ford recall vehicles. You may also check to see if you own one of the affected vehicles by checking the company’s website.
The following is the list of vehicles affected by the Ford recall:
North America:
- 2014 Escape SUVs
- 2014 and 2015 compact Fiesta ST
- 2013 and 2014 Fusion
- 2013 through 2015 Transit Connect van
Europe:
- 2010 through 2015 C-Max hybrid and Focus
- 2013 through 2015 Transit Connect van
Faulty Door Latch Recall
You should contact a Ford dealer if you own one of the vehicles on the Ford recall list and your car doors unexpectedly fly open. In the vehicles affected by this recall a pawl in the door latch can break which will either stop the doors from closing or cause them to open while the car is being driven. Ford Motor Company does not report any crashes or injuries involving the recalled vehicles. However, in the past three years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has conducted investigations because of this problem.
The following is the list of vehicles affected by the door latch recall:
- 2014 Fiesta
- 2013 and 2014 Fusion
- Lincoln MKZ
If you have been injured or suffered a loss involving a vehicle that is the subject of one of these recalls, contact The Ryan Law Group today to speak with a Los Angeles product liability attorney for free.