JUST a few days after Hyundai recalled more than 50,000 Santa Fes in the US and Canada over a potential steering wheel misadventure – it could fall off – Ford has said it will recall more than 1.3 million of its Fusion and Lincoln MKZs over a similar problem.
Ford has blamed a faulty bolt that holds the wheel to the steering column.
Two accidents and one injury have so far been reported and linked to the faulty bolts.
Models covered in the recall are the 2014-2018 Ford Fusion and the 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ built in Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan, and Hermosillo, Mexico, assembly plants between July, 2013 and March, 2018.
Ford dealers will fit a longer lock nut with what Ford called “more robust thread engagement.”
Of the affected Fusions and MKZs, just over 1.3 million were sold in the US, about 62,000 in Canada and 14,000 in Mexico.
In a separate malady, Ford said it would also recall and repair about 6000 2013-2016 Focus and Fusion cars with manual transmissions.
“Repeated cyclic heating and cooling events may cause cracks around the outer edge of the pressure plate” in the clutch assembly on 2013-2016 Ford Focus compact cars with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine and 2013-2015 Ford Fusion mid-size sedans with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine.
A crack in the clutch pressure plate could cause flammable transmission fluid to leak, but Ford said it wasn’t aware of any fires – yet.
