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Ford Announces Four Recalls, 1.4M Vehicles Affected

Ford is taking a bit of the spotlight away from General Motors, announcing a major group of recall campaigns, covering a total of 1.4 million vehicles built between 2006 and 2013. Let's start with the big one, which covers the Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and, according to The Detroit News, Ford-built Mazda Tribute CUVs. 915,216 vehicles are covered, all of which were built in model years 2008 to 2011. 736,000 vehicles are in the US, while Canada then Mexico make up the vast majority of the remainder. The problem is due to an issue with the torque sensor in the steering column, which could lead to sudden power steering failure. Manual steering would still be available, though. "Dealers will perform one of three service fixes, depending upon what diagnostic codes are shown when the vehicle is taken to the dealer," Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker wrote to Autoblog in an email. "They will either update software for the power steering control module and the instrument cluster module; replace the torque sensor; or replace the steering column, which includes upgraded power steering control module software." The most recent generation of the Ford Explorer is suffering from a similar malady, thanks to an intermittent electrical connection (we think that means short circuit) in the steering column. Like the Escape and Mariner, manual steering would still be available in the event of a power failure. Ford will recall 195,527 examples of its Explorer, 177,500 of which are in the US. This recall covers model years 2011 to 2013. According to Automotive News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stated that Ford will inform owners of affected vehicles by July 25. Ford is also recalling 200,000 Taurus sedans, over a corrosion issue in the license plate lamp. This particular recall, which covers vehicles from model years 2010 to 2014, is limited to drivers in northern climes. Vehicle owners in southern states are free to pass on the recall. Finally, 82,576 Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ sedans from 2006 to 2011 are being recalled because of floormats that can interfere with the accelerator pedal. Dealers will replace the offensive floormats with newer examples. "Ford is committed to providing our customers with top quality vehicles. We are equally committed to addressing potential issues and responding quickly for our customers," Felker wrote.

Ford, Petty's Garage to build limited-edition Mustang GT from SEMA Show

The customized vehicles on display at the annual SEMA Show are often just there to exhibit a company's wares. They are more an illustration of what's possible by picking the right bits out of a catalog, rather than a model available in complete form. Ford and Petty's Garage are doing something a little different, though, by putting a very limited run of the tuner's supercharged Mustang GTs up for order through Blue Oval dealers. The Petty's Garage Mustang GT made its debut with a host of other modded 'Stangs at the 2014 SEMA Show. It featured a blue-and-black two-tone paint job and a supercharged version of the pony car's V8 under the hood. Just 143 of them are now being offered to customers – 100 in Stage 1 trim and 43 in Stage 2 form. At a starting price of $62,210, Stage 1 buyers get the aggressive body kit from the show car, including a center-exit exhaust at the rear, trunk lip spoiler and a set of 20-inch wheels. Although the real meat of the setup is a supercharger, cold air intake and retuned engine calibration also help take the output up to 627 horsepower. Inside, customers get "The King" Richard Petty's signature on the dashboard. Shelling out $92,210 for the Stage 2 version adds bigger brakes from Wilwood, HRE three-piece wheels and the two-tone paint job from the SEMA show car. The boosted Mustangs can be ordered from Ford dealers, but at least one of the Stage 2 versions is already sold. Rocker and car enthusiast Brian Johnson of AC/DC bought the first one. FORD AND PETTY'S GARAGE TEAM UP TO BUILD LIMITED-EDITION MUSTANG GT Ford dealerships to offer 143 limited-edition Petty's Garage-tuned Mustang GTs; a Stage 1 version and an even more exclusive Stage 2 version will be available All Petty's Garage Mustang GTs feature Ford Racing/Roush supercharger boosting output to 627 horsepower*, as well as unique exterior and interior treatments including Richard Petty's signature on the dashboard AC/DC's Brian Johnson ordered the first Petty's Garage Stage 2 Mustang GT – the rock 'n' roll legend's first-ever domestic vehicle purchase DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 19, 2015 – Ford Motor Company and Petty's Garage are teaming up to build a new 627-horsepower* Mustang GT – a limited-edition fastback inspired by the popular Petty's Garage Mustang GT on display at last year's SEMA show in Las Vegas. "We received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about our Petty's Garage Mustang GT displayed at the SEMA show," said Jeff Whaley, Petty's Garage COO.

2015 F-150 kick-starts Ford sales

The F-150 had a middling year in 2014, and its sales dipped slightly as Ford transitioned to producing the all-new truck with an aluminum body. But with one factory humming, another on the way and a fuller stock of trucks, 2015 is already shaping up to be a different story. The F-Series posted a 17-percent leap in January, helping to push Ford sales to a 15-percent gain for the month. The F-Series had its best January performance in 11 years with sales of 54,370 trucks last month. Much of this strength comes from the new generation of the F-150. While many of the old model are still being sold off, Ford is rolling out the new version. Just five percent of the F-150's retail sales were the new truck in December, but it was up to 18 percent in January. The increase comes as the first factory that makes the truck, Ford's Dearborn facility, is fully back online. The other F-150 factory, in Kansas City, is still completing its changeover to build the aluminum-bodied truck, and that's expected to be finished in the first quarter of this year. Sales of the truck will still be "tempered a bit" until the Kansas City plant ramps up, Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said. Ford expects to have a full inventory of F-150s by mid-year. To that end, the company announced plans on Wednesday to add 1,550 jobs to support the F-150, including 900 positions at the Kansas City factory. The remaining jobs will be spread out over sites in metro Detroit. The Dearborn and Kansas City factories collectively will be able to build more than 700,000 F-150s annually. The added headcount also means Ford has reached the maximum number of entry-level workers allowed under its pact with the United Auto Workers. About 300 to 500 employees at several plants in the Midwest will transition to a higher pay rate, and their wages will rise from $19.28 an hour to $28.50 an hour. The F-Series was Ford's hottest seller in January, moving off lots in an average of 12 days. The high-end models, the King Ranch and the Platinum versions, are moving slightly quicker. The average transaction price is also up $2,100 for the F-150 compared to January 2014. "We're really pleased with how the new one is doing on dealer lots," Merkle said. A larger stock of F-150s will allow Ford and its rivals to capitalize on low fuel prices, which have slowed consumers' interest in smaller vehicles.