Category Archives: Ford

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

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:

Anywhere in California (free call): 1.888.ExLemon (395.3666)

  • California Lemon Law in Los Angeles: 310-475-1700
  • California Lemon Law in San Francisco: 415-285-5366
  • California Lemon Law in San Diego: 619-229-6900
  • 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”.

Unintended Acceleration In Fords

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are investigating reports of gas pedals becoming trapped by floor mats in some 2010 Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans.

A Ford spokesman said the problem was due to drivers stacking all-weather mats on top of floor mats that come with the vehicle. Ford’s all-weather mats have warnings advising customers not to pile them and to secure them properly to the floor.

Safety officials said the investigation covers about 250,000 Fusions and Milans. The preliminary investigation is meant to try to verify whether the complaints have merit and gauge the seriousness of any potential problems. So far, there have been no reports of crashes or injuries related to this problem.

Will Ford End The Mercury Brand?

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In the last few years, the Ford brands have been shrinking. They have gotten rid of Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and most recently the Volvo brand, and now it seems that the Mercury brand may be the next on the “chopping block”.

Ford officials would not confirm reports that the company was thinking of shutting down Mercury, but they have admitted to plans to shrink the lineup in an effort to make Lincoln the featured brand for the company. The Mercury brand has just four vehicles, the mid-size Milan sedan, the Mariner and Mountaineer SUVs and the giant Grand Marquis sedan. Production of the Grand Marquis will end when Ford closes their Canadian factory next year.

In a previous interviews, Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said he was looking at ways to reorganize the company to be more global. That included cutting brands and slicing the number of vehicles Ford produces, and then using those platforms to build cars that can be sold around the world. The new Ford Fiesta that is going on sale in the U.S. this summer is nearly identical to the one already sold in Europe. The same will hold true for the new-generation Ford Focus slated to roll out early next year.

Ford Investing $135 Million In Michigan Plants

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Ford Motor Co. will be investing $135 million at two Michigan plants that will help introduce five new models by 2012. Ford said it will begin selling two electric vehicles and three new hybrids to meet the new U.S. fuel economy standards. Ford plans to introduce a gasoline-electric version of its Lincoln MKZ sedan and an electric versions of the Transit Connect van this year, and the Focus electric car in 2011.

The investment will result in 220 new jobs by 2012, Ford said, including 130 hourly jobs at a trans-axle plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., and 40 hourly jobs at a Ypsilanti plant that will build battery packs. Fifty engineering jobs will be added as well.

Ford has eliminated 47 percent of its North American workforce since 2006, and had 70,000 workers in the region at the end of the first quarter. The company has cut costs and overhauled its model lineup to become less dependent on sport- utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The automaker ended three years of losses with a $2.7 billion profit last year as the U.S. auto market fell to the lowest level in 27 years.