Ford has announced a recall of 1.2 million of its vehicles in the United States due to safety issues with their brake hoses and 220,000 F-150 pickups due to faulty windshield wiper arms.[0] According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall notice, 2013-2018 Ford Fusion models and 2013-2018 Lincoln MKZ models may have front brake hoses that could rupture and leak brake fluid.[1] This could lead to a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash.[2]
The NHTSA noted that owners may notice the brake pedal depressing further under their feet and a brake fluid warning light may appear on the dashboard if a leak is detected.[3] To fix the issue, Ford is replacing the faulty brake hoses free of charge.[4] Owners will be notified of the safety risk via letters which are going to be sent out on April 17.[5] Those with further questions can call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA’s vehicle-safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.[6]
The recall is in addition to the earlier one that affected the 2015-2018 Ford Edge and the 2016 Lincoln MKX due to an issue that could impact their braking performance.[7] Ford discovered that the same issue could also affect the brake jounce hoses of the Fusion and MKZ sedans, which are the components that connect the steel brake lines to the brake caliper and were only tested for 88% of the suspension travel that they would experience in the real world.
0. “Ford recalls 1.5 million vehicles for brake hose and windshield wiper issues” NPR, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/03/17/1164287038/ford-recalls-fusion-mkz-f150
1. “Ford Recalls 1.3 Million Cars over Faulty Brake Hoses” Autoweek, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.autoweek.com/news/industry-news/a43340466/ford-recalls-1-3-million-cars-over-defective-brake-hoses/
2. “Recall issued for over 1 million Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs over potential brake fluid leak” CBS News, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ford-recall-fusion-and-lincoln-mkz-brake-fluid-hose-leak-risk-of-accident
3. “Ford recalls Focus, Lincoln MKZ cars over brake fluid issue” USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2023/03/16/ford-focus-lincoln-mkz-brake-recall/11484480002/
4. “Ford issues global recall for Fusion and Lincoln MKZ” BlackburnNews.com, 17 Mar. 2023, https://blackburnnews.com/windsor/windsor-news/2023/03/17/ford-issues-global-recall-fusion-lincoln-mkz
5. “Ford recall for front brake hose issue impacts 1.2 million vehicles” KOCO Oklahoma City, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.koco.com/article/ford-recall-front-brake-hose-issue/43342118
6. “Ford recalling over 1 million cars over brake hose issue” KTRK-TV, 16 Mar. 2023, https://abc13.com/ford-recalling-over-1-million-cars-over-brake-hose-issue/12964188/
7. “Braking Bad: Ford Recalls 1.3 Million Fusions And MKZ Sedans” CarScoops, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.carscoops.com/2023/03/braking-bad-ford-recalls-1-3-million-fusions-and-mkz-sedans