Ford recalls 318,000 new trucks and old sedans

If you own a 2016 Ford truck or a 13-year-old Ford Crown Victoria it could be among the 318,000 varying vehicles the manufacturer has recalled for a host of reasons.

Headlight failure linked to 11 crashes is the reason Ford has recalled 313,000 Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis units from 2003 to 2005. The light module’s solder joints could crack and interrupt power to the headlights and thus increase the risk of crash at night.

The Ford Crown Victoria was often used as a police vehicle or taxis before the automaker phased it out in 2011.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a new investigation of more than 500,000 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis cars in August after reviewing more than 3,600 complaints of lighting failures and reports of 15 crashes and one injury.

Ford recalls vehicles twice for same reason

The agency previously investigated the same lighting issue in 2008 without demanding a recall after finding no reports of crashes linked to the issue.

NHTSA said some drivers were able to turn the lights back on, while some said lights flickered before turning off completely.

The recall covers 296,004 cars in the United States, 14,714 in Canada and 2,096 in Mexico. Dealers will replace the lighting control module.

Ford separately issued three other small recalls covering about 4,700 vehicles. It’s recalling 177 and F-750 trucks to replace the rear air brake chamber. A defect could cause a leak and the inadvertent application of the parking brake or diminished braking performance.

The manufacturer is also recalling 1,300 2015 Transit dual-rear-wheel vehicles to replace rear axle shafts, which could crack and cause a loss of power or unintended vehicle movement when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged.

The automaker is also recalling 3,200 2015 F-150 SuperCrew vehicles to replace the front safety belt retractor and pretensioner assembly. It might not restrain an occupant in a crash.