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Ford Mustang, F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator recalled

The Basics: Ford will recall 201,900 examples of the 2011-2012 F-150, 2012 Expedition, 2012 Mustang, and 2012 Lincoln Navigator. The affected vehicles have the 6R80 transmission. Of the total, there are 84,000 of them in the United States and 17,900 in Canada. The Problem: The output speed sensor on the vehicle's transmission lead frame can force the gearbox to downshift into first gear. If this happens at high speed, it could cause the rear tires to slide or lock up. Injuries/Deaths: There are no reported injuries, but Ford know of three accidents related to this problem. The Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to eliminate the problem, and they'll also replace the transmission lead frame. If You Own One: Ford will begin notifying affected customers by mail on May 23. Related Video: FORD MOTOR COMPANY ISSUES THREE SAFETY RECALLS AND TWO SAFETY COMPLIANCE RECALLS IN NORTH AMERICA DEARBORN, Mich., April 27, 2016 – Ford Motor Company is issuing three safety recalls and two safety compliance recalls in North America. Details are as follows: Ford issues safety recall and customer satisfaction program for certain 2011-2012 Ford F-150, and 2012 Ford Expedition, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles in North America to update powertrain control module software and inspect for certain diagnostic trouble codes Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 202,000 2011-2012 Ford F-150, and 2012 Ford Expedition, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles for a potential issue with the output speed sensor on the vehicle's transmission lead frame. Under certain conditions, the transmission controls could force a temporary downshift into first gear. Depending on the speed of the vehicle at the time of the downshift, the driver could experience an abrupt speed reduction that could cause the rear tires to slide or lock up. This condition could result in loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Ford is aware of three reports of accidents and no injuries related to this condition. Affected vehicles are equipped with a 6R80 transmission and include certain 2011-2012 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant, Aug. 19, 2011 through March 9, 2012; 2012 Ford Expedition vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, Aug. 19, 2011 through Dec. 19, 2011; Ford Mustang vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Aug. 19, 2011 through Feb.

2014 Ford F-150 gets CNG option

Ford is toiling away, installing heavy-duty engine components into select 3.7-liter V6s to allow them to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in addition to gasoline. That's nothing new, but now, Ford has announced that it will offer the 2014 F-150 with this engine configuration, bringing the Blue Oval's total number of CNG/LPG-friendly vehicles up to eight. The F-150 will be the only half-ton pickup on the market that can run on these gases.
Ford will charge $315 per vehicle to equip the optional engine, but the trucks won't be ready to run on the alternative fuels straight from the factory and must be upfitted with additional equipment. A Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier will install a separate fuel system for the compressed gases at a cost of $7,500 to $9,500, depending on fuel tank size. With the right-size tank, the F-150 equipped with the CNG/LPG-prepped engine can go 750 miles on one tank of gas, according to Ford, averaging 23 miles per gallon.
The practice of offering flex-fuel vehicles is gaining momentum as businesses take advantage of cheap gas. CNG can be bought for $2.11/gallon on average (per gasoline equivalent), and sometimes for as little as $1.00 in some parts of the US, Ford states. "With the money saved using CNG, customers could start to see payback on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months," says Jon Coleman, Ford's fleet sustainability and technology manager. The automaker expects to sell a total of 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles in the 2014 model year.

Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study