Ford Recalls 380,000 Older Minivans, New Trucks

Windstar minivans from model years 1998-2003 have been recalled by Ford Motor Co. (Photo via Flickr)

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Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday that it has issued six new recalls covering more than 380,000 vehicles, mostly previously recalled older-model Windstar minivans for rear axle inspections.

The automaker also said it is recalling 37,000 of its F-150 trucks from model year 2015 to fix a potential problem with adaptive cruise control, The Detroit News reports.

The automaker said the combined effects of corrosion and stress may lead to cracks in Windstar axles from model years 1998-2003 that, if undetected, can grow in result in complete fracture.

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The automobiles were previously recalled for a repair that involved installing a rear axle reinforcement bracket to mitigate the safety risk in the event of an axle fracture, but “a bracket incorrectly installed could limit the effectiveness of that recall repair,” the company said.

The company said it has received reports of a small number of crashes related to the axle issue, but said there have been no reported injuries.

Ford said it had one report of a crash related to the potential cruise control problems on the 2015 F-150 trucks that could increase the risk of a crash. The software module on the adaptive cruise control will be updated in the fix.

Four other smaller recalls were also announced:

• 70 Ford Escapes and Mercury Mariners from model years 2001-2008 with remanufactured transmissions are being recalled due to a possible loose shift control lever bolt.
• 250 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles from model year 2015 and Ford Explorers from model years 2016 with a potential fuel tank bolt attachment issue.
• 1,500 Ford F-53 and F-59 stripped down chassis vehicles from model year 2016 for a potential shift control bracket issue.
• 700 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles from model year 2016 for a fuel tank issue.