NEWS:  Feds warns Ford owners about recalled vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is urging owners of 5 million recalled Ford vehicles to bring them to dealerships to repair a cruise control switch system that has been tied to engine fires.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday issued a second consumer advisory to owners of certain unrepaired Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, vans and passenger cars who have not responded to previous recalls.

NHTSA said about 12 million vehicles have been part of the recall and nearly 5 million still have not been fixed. A similar warning was issued in February but officials said the rate of the vehicles being repaired has declined.

The recalls have affected Ford's popular F-Series pickup trucks and led to hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits over engine fires.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the Dearborn, Mich., company supported the effort to communicate with owners. He said owners have received several recall notices but "the return rate has been lower than expected or hoped (for)."

Dealers have installed a fused wiring harness into the speed control electrical system as part of the recall, and the government said replacement parts are available. Owners can take their vehicle to a dealer to have the cruise control deactivated until the parts arrive.

NHTSA issued a lengthy list of older vehicles covered by the consumer advisory, including 1993-2004 Ford F150 trucks, 1994-2002 F250 through F550 Super Duty trucks with gasoline engines, and 1998-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs, which were among the best-selling vehicles in the nation during those years.

MORE RECALL INFO: 

• Ford F-150
• Ford F-250/350/450/550
• Ford Explorer
• Mercury Mountaineer

MAY 2008 -- Ford is recalling 605,684 MY 2005-2006 F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT vehicles equipped with 5.4L 3-Valve engines. The brake booster vacuum supply hose attached to the intake manifold fitting may swell over time and lose retention force. This condition could allow the hose to become detached from the fitting during an intake manifold backfire. Should the hose detach from the intake manifold, several brake applications with power assist will be available before the vacuum reserve is depleted. Once the brake booster vacuum reserve is depleted, the driver will have foundation brake function, but with increased brake pedal effort. Reduced vehicle braking could lead to a crash. Dealers will replace a rubber hose on the brake booster vacuum supply tube assembly. The recall is expected to begin on or about July 7, 2008. This recall was the subject of a Preliminary Evaluation, PE08-001, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation. 08V208

NEWS:   Ford recalls over 650,000 pickups for brake hose

Defective hose could affect braking power on F-150 and Lincoln Mark TL pickup trucks.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- May 14, 2008 -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 655,000 Ford F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks to fix a hose that could affect the vehicles' braking power.

The automaker is issuing the recall of 2005-2006 versions of the trucks with 5.4 liter 3-valve engines. This is according to a posting Wednesday on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ford spokesman ....says more than 600,000 of the trucks are in the United States and about 50,000 are in Canada. About 1,500 are in other countries around the world.

Ford says there have been 11 minor accidents and no injuries tied to the issue.

Dealers will replace the hose at no charge to consumers. Owners are expected to be notified in late June, and the recall is expected to begin in July.

MORE RECALL INFORMATION:    Ford F-150      Lincoln Mark LT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- March 5, 2007 -- Ford Motor Co. recalled about 155,000 pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles on Monday to repair a cruise control switch system that already had led to millions of recalls.

Ford said the latest recall involved 2003 versions of the F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty truck, the Ford Excursion SUV and the Lincoln Blackwood pickup.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker previously had recalled 5.8 million vehicles in the past two years because of engine fires linked to the cruise control systems in trucks, SUVs and vans. That recall, one of the largest in history, covered vehicles from the 1994-2002 model years.

Ford officials said Monday an internal check found the switch systems in some early 2003 trucks and SUVs and the company acted to allow owners to get it repaired. The switch system could corrode over time, overheat and ignite.

• Production delays hamper Ford recall

WASHINGTON -- (December 21, 2005)  - Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday that replacement parts used in its recall of 3.8 million pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles would not be available until February because of production delays. In September, the automaker recalled 1994-2002 model-year vehicles amid complaints of engine fires linked to the cruise control switch system. The recall covered the F-150 pickup, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and Ford Bronco. (AP)