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Ford launches pair of recalls affecting fullsize sedans and Transit Connect van

Ford has announced a pair of pretty significant recalls affecting the 2010-2013 Ford Taurus and Police Interceptor, as well as their platform-mate, the Lincoln MKS. A separate recall covers the 2014 Transit Connect. The fullsize sedans include 205,000 vehicles built at Chicago Assembly over a variety of timeframes, ranging between December 1, 2009 and November 30, 2012. The vehicles, 194,889 of which were sold in the United States, have an issue with the spring controls on the interior door handles that could cause the door to open in a side-impact crash. The Transit Connect recall, meanwhile, includes 16,100 vans built between November 6, 2013 and September 20,2014 at the company's Valencia, Spain factory. In these vehicles, the seatbelt fasteners may not have been tightened properly, which could cause them to loosen over time, a condition that's obviously bad news in the event of a crash. Ford says it is not aware of any accidents, injuries or crashes in either recall. Owners will, of course, be notified and asked to report in for inspections and if necessary, free replacements. Scroll down for the full press release from Ford, which includes the complete breakdown of dates during which the affected sedans were built in Chicago. JAN 28, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. FORD ISSUES TWO SAFETY RECALLS Ford is issuing two safety recalls. No accidents or injuries are attributed to either of these conditions. Details are as follows: Ford issues safety recall for certain 2010-2013 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Ford Police Interceptor sedans for interior door handle issue Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 205,000 2010-2013 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Ford Police Interceptor sedans due to an issue with the spring that controls the interior door handles. If the spring is unseated, the door may become unlatched in a side-impact crash, increasing the risk of injury. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition. Affected vehicles include certain 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles built Dec. 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 and Feb. 1, 2011 to Nov. 30, 2012 at Chicago Assembly Plant; certain 2010-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles built June 2, 2011 to Oct. 31, 2011 at Chicago Assembly Plant; and certain 2010-2013 Ford Police Interceptor sedans built Dec. 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 and Feb. 1, 2011 to Nov. 30, 2012 at Chicago Assembly Plant.

Ford Recalling 70k Escape and Mariner Hybrids for cooling issue

Ford is recalling about 70,209 examples of the 2005-2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and the 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid because the cooling pumps for their hybrid systems could fail.
According to the company's defect notice, it's possible for the original "Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump" to wear out and fail, which would could cause the hybrid system to overheat. If this happens, the vehicle goes into a safety mode that takes away most or all of its power. However, braking and steering still operate normally. After cooling down, the affected models restart normally. The company says that it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem.
Ford will begin repairing the vehicles in late October, and dealers will be installing improved, brushless pumps on the affected models at no charge to owners. If drivers had their pumps fail before this recall, they can contact Ford for a possible reimbursement. Scroll down to read the recall announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or download the full defect notice as a PDF, here.

Pickup sales may hit 2M units for first time since 2007

Even as fuel prices creep back up, trucks are still a hot item among new-vehicle shoppers. To see how popular pickup trucks still are, you don't have to look any further than how much effort automakers put into the continual one-upmanship of their trucks. Backing this fact up, USA Today is reporting that the segment could top two million sales this year - a total not matched since 2007, though still far from the pre-recession, three-million-unit levels.
Through August, the Ford F-Series continues to be the segment leader with almost 500,000 units sold, but the Chevy Silverado (328,269), Ram 1500 (234,642), GMC Sierra (122,232) and Toyota Tacoma (110,293) are all seeing at least 20-percent sales increases, helping to account for around 1.44 million truck sales so far this year - not including possible outliers like the Suzuki Equator and Chevy Avalanche.
This year alone, General Motors has completely redesigned its fullsize trucks, Ram and Toyota have significantly updated their offerings, the next-gen Ford F-150 will be out next year and Nissan is promising an all-new Titan around the same time with an eventual Cummins diesel under the hood. It would seem, then, that truck sales are poised to continue their upward trend.