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Ford recalls over 953,000 vehicles to replace Takata airbag inflators

DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles worldwide to replace Takata passenger airbag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel. The move includes over 782,000 vehicles in the U.S. and is part of the largest series of recalls in U.S. history. Included are the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, the 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, the 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and the 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang. Some of the recalls may be limited to specific geographic areas of the U.S. Takata used the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate airbags. But it can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by the inflators. Ford says it doesn't know of any injuries in vehicles included in this recall. Dealers will replace the inflators. Ford will notify owners about the recall starting on Feb. 18, and the company has replacement parts available for dealers to order, said spokeswoman Monique Brentley. In previous Takata recalls, parts availability had been an issue. Owners can go to this Ford website and key in their vehicle identification number to see if their cars and SUVs are being recalled. The same information will be available soon at the NHTSA recall website. More than three years after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took over management of recalls involving Takata inflators, one third of the recalled inflators still have not been replaced, according to an annual report from the government and a court-appointed monitor. The report says 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be replaced. And 10 million more inflators are scheduled to be recalled this month, including the Ford vehicles. Safety advocates said the completion rate should be far higher given the danger associated with the inflators. The recalls forced Takata of Japan to seek bankruptcy protection and sell most of its assets to pay for the fixes. The inflators grow more dangerous as they get older because ammonium nitrate deteriorates due to high humidity and cycles from hot temperatures to cold. The most dangerous inflators are in areas of the South along the Gulf of Mexico that have high humidity. Related Video:

Even Ford executives had issues with MyFord Touch

MyFord Touch is one of the auto industry's more controversial features. The media broadly panned the infotainment system developed with Microsoft for its slow responses and reliance on voice commands to navigate its deep menus. Oh, and Ford executives weren't big fans, either. Newly revealed court documents in a California class-action lawsuit demonstrate the level of venom Ford employees, both big and small, reserved for the Blue Oval's infotainment system. An error caused Bill Ford's navigation system to crash, leaving the family scion stuck on the side of the road in an unfamiliar area. The documents, unearthed by Forbes, detail current CEO Mark Fields' aggravations with MFT, too. A mechanic emailed an image of a cracked infotainment screen on an Edge to one of Ford's top Sync engineers, Kenneth Williams, suggesting "Mark Fields may have been a little aggravated with the system." But Ford and Fields' issues are nothing compared to the woes of the engineers that had to work on MFT. In a collection of emails obtained by Forbes, one engineer called the system "a polished turd," while another simply said, "These poor customers." And after one engineer suggested using a photo of Ford's Oakville Assembly Plant – home of the Edge, Flex, Lincoln MKX, and MKT production – as a background for the system, one of his coworkers said in an email that someone should instead Photoshop the image to read "abandon hope all ye who enter here," the Detroit News reports. Another summed up the problem, saying: "Ford's quality reputation is completely on the line ... another model year with the same crap is not acceptable." MyFord Touch almost single-handedly torpedoed Ford's reputation in widely reported quality metrics, including JD Power and Consumer Reports. Ford responded with a refreshed Sync3, a wildly improved rethink of its infotainment system that is far more responsive and easier to live with every day. Related Video: News Source: Forbes, The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Ford Government/Legal Ford Lincoln Technology Mark Fields sync 3

2020 Lincoln Corsair Review & Buying Guide | Old-school, value-priced luxury

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is a compelling alternative to the compact luxury crossover establishment. It’s distinctively stylish inside and out, very spacious, and it clearly focuses on comfort rather than performance. Not only that, it has a base price that's thousands of dollars cheaper than its German rivals. It has a couple of drawbacks. Its quest for comfort does sacrifice some of its handling capability, and its overseas rivals still have nicer cabin materials. But there are enough positives that youÂ’ll still want to give the Corsair a closer look. What's new for 2020? The Lincoln Corsair is a completely new model introduced this year. It replaces the Lincoln MKC, and like that crossover, the Corsair still shares its platform with the Ford Escape. 2020 Lincoln Corsair Beyond Blue interior View 9 Photos What's the Corsair's interior and in-car technology like? While the Corsair is based on the Ford Escape, you wouldnÂ’t be able to tell from the inside, and thatÂ’s a very good thing. The little Lincoln crossover has a unique interior, both in relation to the Escape and to the rest of its luxury segment. There's nothing remotely like it. The dashboard itself is low and wide, emphasized by the split-level design and the faux full-width air vent. The center stack has a cantilevered design that floats above the center console area and features chrome-plated switches and knobs. Base models get a stylish pinstriped aluminum trim panel on the dash paired with one of three upholstery color options including black, gray and beige. However, the Reserve steps things up considerably with differing wood and metal trim choices that correspond to the expanded leather color options that include a camel tan and dark turquoise (pictured above). All Corsairs get an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system mounted high on the dash within easy sight and reach. It uses a reskinned version of the latest Ford SYNC interface. The layout is straightforward and easy to navigate, and the more muted color options on the Lincoln system are easier on the eyes than the stark white Ford version. ItÂ’s a little bit slow to load new menus, though, and this carries over to the optional 12.3-inch instrument cluster screen available on the Reserve trim. The Corsair comes standard with an analog instrument cluster with a 6.5-inch info screen. We appreciate that many stereo and climate controls have dedicated switches and knobs on the center stack, and they have a nice heft to their actions.