Ford to Recall 1.1 Million Trucks Over Corrosion on Fuel Tank Straps

More than 1 million trucks are recalled by Ford, including the F-150 which happens to be the top-selling U.S. vehicle in its segment. A problem was detected at the straps that secure the fuel tanks which may corrode and cause the tanks to fall.The fault has caused three fires and one injury until now, according to a statement made by Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood.

Furthermore the recall was announced today on The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site. The recalls are a result of an investigation opened last year by the U.S. auto-safety regulator. Investigations are being made in 21 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia, known to use de-icing chemicals on the roads in cold weather which may cause corrosion of the metal straps.

The fuel tank straps can corrode after operation for extended periods of time in high corrosion areas. Also, the trucks which are being called are vehicles with high mileage and were more exposed at corroding situations. The recall targets 1.1 million pickup truck which include the F-150 models from years 1997 to 2004, F250 from model years 1997 to 1999 and Lincoln Blackwoods from 2002 to 2003, as related by autonews.com

The owners of the affected models will be notified by Ford in mid September, and repairs will be made at no cost. We’d also mention that earlier this year Ford has recalled more than 1 million F-150s for air-bag faults after it was signaled by U.S. regulators. Furthermore, the air bags in trucks manufactured from years 2004 to 2006 may not deploy when necessary.