Category Archives: Ford

News about Ford automobile manufacturer. News about Ford recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding Ford vehicles.

Corrosion Investigation For Ford Windstar

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A recall for corrosion of Ford’s Windstar and a recently expanded recall for the same issues, has lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to upgrade their investigation into front end corrosion problems with the minivan. The NHTSA is now reviewing almost 350 complaints related to the vans front engine cradle. This sub-frame which carries the engine, trans-axle, steering and some front end suspension components, is reported to suffer cracking because of excessive corrosion. Almost 100% of complaints have come from salt belt states.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the company is cooperating with the NHTSA investigation and that they are committed to safety and notifying customers of recalls. According to Ford’s Safety director, The failure rate for the minivan is quite low when considering the age of the vehicles and the amount of miles they have accumulated.

Fatal Accident As Ford Expands Minivan Recall

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A Massachusetts man, Sean Bowman, was killed when the rear axle of his Ford Windstar cracked in half causing the minivan to crash into a building. A week after the accident, the Bowman family received a recall notice saying that his 2001 Windstar’s axle should be inspected for corrosion that could lead to the axle breaking.

The original recall was announced last August and only after the story of Sean Bowman’s death broke, Ford announced that it would be expanding the recall to add another 37,000 vehicles. The initial recall was for vans in certain colder states where corrosion was a factor, but the expanded recall now covers a larger number of states.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 70 percent of recalled vehicles are repaired within the first 18 months. Recalls issued for older vehicles tend to be much lower and remain on the roads without being fixed, which could lead to Ford facing increased legal action over the issue. Ford continues to experience problems with the recall because of a shortage of parts. Some Windstar owners have complained that their minivans have been sitting at dealerships waiting for repairs for up to four months.

Unintended Acceleration In Ford And Mercury

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is warning owners of 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles not to place any unsecured floor mats on top of standard carpeted floor mats as it could lead to unintended acceleration. The NHTSA is opening a formal investigation into the problem after three complaints that when an all weather mat was placed on top of the standard floor mats, the mat could slip forward and trap the accelerator pedal. There have been no crashes or injuries related to the problem, but the NHTSA felt an investigation was necessary. For more information, consumers can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Hotline at 888-327-4236 or their Ford dealer.

Dealing With Death Wobble

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“Death Wobble” is a situation where the front axle of a vehicle oscillates out of control making the vehicle difficult to handle. The above video shows just how scary and potentially deadly the situation can be. While the majority of complaints of death wobble come from Jeep owners, the problem has also been reported in Toyota, Ford, and Dodge vehicles as well.

Death Wobble is extremely difficult to diagnose and fix, because it could be caused by a combination of parts in the steering and suspension systems and may not be the same for every vehicle. Every time you experience a death wobble episode, more parts may be damaged. Fixing the problem can become very expensive and if it is not fixed right away, can be dangerous.

If you have experienced death wobble in your Jeep, Toyota, Ford or Dodge vehicle and your mechanic or dealership is unable to fix the problem, you may be entitled to your money back or a new vehicle under California’s Lemon Laws.

The California Lemon Law Offices of Delsack & Associates is recognized as one of California’s best and oldest lemon law firms. We have a nearly 100% success rate of the California Lemon Law cases we accept, and offer statewide services so that wherever you live in California you can put our 22 years of experience to work for you.

If you are in California call our Lemon Law Offices:

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  • California Lemon Law in Los Angeles: 310-475-1700
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  • California Lemon Law in Orange County: 949-856-4333
  • California Lemon Law in Palm Springs: 760-395-1000
  • California Lemon Law in San Fernando Valley: 818-837-0500

Ford Recalls Windstar Minivans

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Ford is recalling over half a million 1998-2003 Windstar minivans because corrosion of the rear axle could lead it to break. The recall will focus on vehicles driven in areas where salt is used on the roads. After many years of vehicle service in these areas, corrosion can weaken the rear axle, making it susceptible to torsional stress.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a preliminary investigation into the problem last may, after the agency received 234 reports of rear axle fractures and two minor crashes. Ford said they have received almost 1000 complaints of alleged cracked rear axles, including seven that resulted in injuries. The company will install reinforcement brackets free of charge on recalled vehicles. The places affected by the recall are Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Volvos Sale To Geely Motors Completed

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The sale of Volvo to Chinese car maker Geely is the first time a Chinese car maker has acquired 100 percent of a foreign rival. Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding, said that they would push to expand market shares around the world while keeping to the characteristics that made Volvo popular. Stefan Jacoby, the former head of Volkswagen of America, was named president and chief executive and will join the board of Volvo in August to determine the strategy of the company.

Ford bought Volvo for $6 billion in 1999 as part of a global push in which it also acquired Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover. Of those international luxury brands, Volvo is the last to be sold. Ford will now focuses on its core North American and European businesses. Ford, while emerging relatively healthy from the crisis during which General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection, is still struggling under about $27 billion in debt, and can use the funds from the Volvo sale to pay it off.

The Chinese car maker paid $1.3 billion cash and issued a $200 million note payable to Ford to complete the acquisition. Further payments are expected after an audit and final adjustments in Volvo’s value.

Ford Profits In Second Quarter

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Ford is bragging a 13% profit rise, the best in six years, thanks to the strong sales of their fuel efficient cars such as the Fusion and the redesigned Taurus, and high tech features such as their in car communications and entertainment system, the Sync.

Ford, which did not file for bankruptcy protection or receive a federal bailout like rivals General Motors and Chrysler, has been saddled with huge debt. It ended the quarter with $27.3 billion of debt even after it paid down $7 billion.

“Overall, our performance this year gives us great confidence going forward,” Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally. “We are ahead of where we thought we’d be.” With improving profits, the company said it was on track to have more cash than debt by the end of next year.

Networked Charging Stations For California

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Coulomb Technologies, a leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, has announced that they will be spending $37 million installing networked charging stations throughout the United States. The program will provide almost 5000 charging stations in Austin, Texas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, Redmond, Wash., and Washington DC.

A wide network of charging stations is expected to help quell fears that future electric car owners won’t be able to drive far beyond their home charging base. In support of the ChargePoint America program, three automakers have committed to deliver electric vehicles in designated US regions. The Chevrolet Volt, the Ford Transit Connect Electric and Ford Focus Electric through the “Ford Blue Oval ChargePoint Program”, and the smart for two electric drive will be introduced along with this program.

ChargePoint America will offer both home and public charging stations to individuals and businesses. Charging stations owners can set their own prices for charging through the Flex Billing™ system. The Flex Billing system enables station owners to set pricing as a function of time of day, calendar date, and driver – much like a parking meter. Those same stations can also be configured to provide “free” access to EV drivers.

Coulomb’s ChargePoint® Network, is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and provides authentication, management, and real-time control for the networked electric vehicle charging stations. The network of electric vehicle charging stations is accessible to all plug-in drivers by making a toll free call to the 24/7 number on each charging station, or signing up for a ChargePoint Network monthly access plan and obtaining a ChargePass™ smart card. Other future payment options include using any smart (RFID) credit/debit card to authorize a session or using a standard credit or debit card at a remote payment station (RPS) to pay for charging sessions. To locate available charging stations, visit mychargepoint.net and click “Find Stations”.