Ford recalls 202000 vehicles for transmission issue

A transmission problem prompted Ford to issue a safety recall on approximately 202,000 F-150 pickups, Expeditions, Mustangs and Lincoln Navigators.

Ford says that dealers will inspect the powertrain control module and upgrade the software if there are no diagnostic trouble codes found. The upgrade will prevent the vehicles from downshifting into first gear if a fault with the output speed sensor takes place. The issues involve failure-prone components in suspensions, transmissions, and tires, and affect models from the 2007 Mercury Sable to 2012 Ford F-150s and Lincoln Navigators.

Ford said its’ aware of three accidents reported and injuries. Without fix, it could cause rear suspension noise, difficulty steering or loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a collision. Again Ford is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem. A conveyor may have caused some sidewall damage to the tires in question, which compromises the tire’s structure and could lead to rapid deflation and a loss of vehicle control. Ford is aware of one accident and one injury related to this issue.

The Explorer recall covers SUVs and Police Interceptor models in the U.S., Canada and Mexico from 2014 and 2015.

To see if your vehicle is affected, visit owner.ford.com, click on the “Recalls” link under the “Maintain Your Vehicle” menu, and enter your 17-character VIN number. Ford says poor weld quality could cause the left and right rear suspension toe links to crack.

Dealers will replace the links.

Tires on F-Series Super Duty trucks Ford said it’s recalling about 2,600 Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks from the 2016 model year to inspect and replace tires, if needed. Ford also says that it will replace the lead frame on vehicles that have logged fewer than 150,000 miles. In certain vehicles, the seat mounting bracket attachment to the seat track rail may have been improperly welded, resulting in reduced seat track strength. The issue is not related to the Takata airbag safety recall.

The driver’s seat track assembly on 39 2016 Fusions might have been weakened by improper welding.