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Ford to Recall 1.3 Million Cars Because Steering Wheel Might Detach

A major recall has been announced on Wednesday by Ford in North America, on account of an issue which may pose a serious risk to the drivers.
Ford Fusion 1 photo
Photo: Ford
According to the official statement, the fault identified by Ford consists of a steering wheel bolt not maintaining torque. Over time, the bolt might loosen and lead to the detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column.

The recall was announced after Ford received news of two accidents with one injury caused by the drivers losing steering control of their cars. There are in all 1,378,637 vehicles in North America affected by the issue, all Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models built between 2013 and 2018.

Ford says the affected Fusion models have been assembled at two of its plants, Flat Rock and Hermosillo, while the faulty Lincoln MKZ originates from the Hermosillo facility. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S08.

“Dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt on the vehicle with a longer bolt with more robust thread engagement, and larger nylon patch placed properly for proper torque retention - at no cost to customers,” says Ford detailing the fix.

Separately, roughly 6,000 Focus and Fusion models will be recalled due to possible premature clutch lining wear, that could lead to cracks around the outer edge of the pressure plate and excessive heating. Paired with leaking transmission fluid, for instance, the fault could lead to engine compartment fire.

This is the second serious safety issue announced by Ford in less than a month. In February, the carmaker released an imperative warning to drivers of Ranger models, asking them to “stop driving their vehicles and contact their dealers immediately for repairs.”

In all, 33,428 Ford vehicles were involved in last month's decision, all of them affected by a mutation of the now infamous Takata airbag inflator fault.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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