Ford has issued a few large-scale recalls this year. In July, Ford issued a recall for about 33,021 Hybrid vehicles due to the risk of injuries to passengers. Specifically, the roofs on the vehicles did not meet a head injury requirement established under federal law. More recently, Ford issued a recall for more than 6,000 Focus models due to an issue with the wiring of the headlights last month. Now, the automaker is recalling approximately 370,000 sedans due to potential corrosion of the steering shaft.
According to Reuters, Ford said the lower immediate steering shaft could corrode and result in a loss of steering control, especially in “high corrosion states and provinces.” These states include Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Ford states that it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem.
The recall affects about 355,000 models in the United States and approximately 15,000 vehicles in Canada. The recalled models include model year 2005 to 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars. Additionally, the recall affects approximately 195,000 Crown Victoria police cars, according to the New York Times. The recall was prompted by an investigation by the NHTSA of loss of steering in 2005 to 2008 models of the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Ford dealers will “inspect and replace the lower immediate steering shaft and, if necessary, secure a lower steering column bearing and replace the upper intermediate steering shaft,” according to Reuters. Consumers in states other than the 22 high corrosion states can also have their vehicles looked at and, if necessary, repaired by Ford dealers for free.