Ford issued four safety recalls in North America on Friday for recent models of its top-selling SUVs and trucks, suggesting that consumers take the vehicles to dealers for review, repair or replacement to prevent risk of injury.
The alert applies to the 2018 Ford Explorer, 2019 Ford Super Duty, 2018 Ford Expedition, 2018 Lincoln Navigator and the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus.
Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt told the Detroit Free Press on Friday,
"As part of our quality process, we are identifying and addressing issues quickly on behalf of our customers. We recognize the inconvenience recalls cause customers," Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt told the Detroit Free Press on Friday. "Yet customers also know these actions help ensure their safety and improve quality and satisfaction. We are absolutely committed to launching products with top quality and addressing issues when we see them."
The company noted that it is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires to date related to the latest recall vehicles.
In October, Ford issued a recall of nearly 1.3 million Ford Focus vehicles due to stalling without warning. Fuel system and stalling problems were found in 2012 through 2018 cars with 2-liter four-cylinder engines. Customers have been told to keep fuel tanks at least half full because the gauges may not be working properly.
"While no recall is ever ideal, and certainly never the goal, they are almost inevitable when you consider the complexity of these vehicles,” said Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst for Kelley Blue Book.
“Regardless of the size, scope or product, it’s the manufacturer’s response to the recall and the level of inconvenience to the owner that is remembered," she said.
The most recent Ford recalls impact the following select vehicles:
'18 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator
- Select 2018 Ford Expedition and 2018 Lincoln Navigator vehicles with second-row bench seats for missing J-channel brackets
About 38,000 vehicles with second-row center bench seats may be missing J-channel reinforcement brackets in the seat track assembly. A seat track missing one or both J-channel reinforcement brackets may not properly restrain the seat assembly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect the seats to determine if both J-channel brackets are installed. If one or both brackets are missing, dealers will replace the center seat frame assembly at no charge to customers. Until the vehicle can be serviced for this concern, customers should move the seat back to its furthest position away from the front of the vehicle.
Affected vehicles include 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, March 14, 2017 to Aug. 18, 2018.
Affected vehicles include 2018 Lincoln Navigator vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, March 31, 2017 to Aug. 18, 2018.
There are approximately 37,801 vehicles in North America, with 34,946 in the U.S. and federalized territories, 1,900 in Canada and 955 in Mexico.
'18 Ford Explorer
- Select 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles with 2.3- or 3.5-liter GTDI engines for an improperly assembled fuel pressure sensor
About 160 vehicles have the flawed sensor, which may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire. Dealers will replace the vehicle’s fuel line assembly at no cost.
Affected vehicles include 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant, July 29-31, 2018.
'19 Lincoln Nautilus
- Select 2019 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles without adaptive front steering to replace driver airbag modules
About 271 vehicles lack adaptive front steering to replace driver airbag modules that may have improperly injection-molded plastic covers that may separate during deployment, increasing risk of injury in a crash. Dealers will replace the vehicle’s driver airbag module at no cost to customers.
Affected vehicles include 2019 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles without adaptive front steering built at Oakville Assembly Plant, Oct. 11-19, 2018.
'19 Ford F-Series Super Duty
- Select 2019 Ford Super Duty vehicles for transmission casings
An estimated four 2019 Ford Super Duty vehicles in the U.S. have a transmission casing that may be missing material around the casting where the park pawl engages the transmission. This could cause a vehicle to move while in park, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will inspect and replace transmission casing, as necessary, at no cost to customers.
Ford is not aware of any unintended vehicle movement resulting from this condition.
Affected vehicles include 2019 Ford Super Duty vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, Aug. 21-23, 2018.
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: phoward@freepress.com or 313-222-6512. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid
