2012 Ford Edge Sel Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Detroit Three autoworkers could get huge bonuses

For a long time, being a line worker for one of the Detroit Three has meant living with an uncertain future. With the health of American automakers on the rise, though, things are also starting to look up for the men and women building the cars. The latest sign that things aren't bad? Big profit-sharing checks.
According to The Detroit News, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler could end up paying over $800 million to 130,000 workers as part of a profit-sharing plan. According to The News, the economic impact of these profits in Michigan alone could exceed $400 million, besting the NFL's Super Bowl, MLB's All-Star Game and the NHL's Winter Classic for their economic impact.
This is the third straight year the Detroit Three have issued profit-sharing checks to UAW employees, and for many workers, the checks are as close as they'll get to a raise, due to the most recent contract between the union and the manufacturers. On average, employees at GM and Ford receive $1 for every $1 million in North American (not just the US) pre-tax profits. Chrysler, meanwhile, gets a similar deal, although the Auburn Hills-based company calculates profit sharing using 85 percent of the brand's global profits.

Truckmakers squabbling over who can sell Jimmy Fallon a pickup

Snagging a celebrity endorsement is a big deal for automakers, as evidenced by the recent efforts of the Detroit Three to try and woo The Tonight Show's newest host, Jimmy Fallon, into one of their trucks.
After announcing during Wednesday night's show that he was in the market for a pickup truck, Fallon set off a firestorm of efforts on Twitter, with both Ford and Chevrolet petitioning the funnyman to test out a truck. According to Ad Age, Ford recommended the King Ranch edition of its next-generation F-150 while the show was still airing. Chevy, meanwhile, waited until the next morning to pitch a Silverado to Fallon.
The winner of this social media feeding frenzy, though, was Ram. Promoting a variation of its "Guts, Glory, Ram" tagline, the Auburn Hills-based manufacturer created the hashtag #GUTSGLORYFallon. It even went so far as to park a Ram 1500 outside 30 Rockefeller Center in New York, where The Tonight Show is filmed. On the back of the Ram sat a sign, reading "Big enough, Jimmy? Test it out," referencing a joke from the Wednesday show.

Ford and Lincoln recall roundup: Explorer, F-350 Super Duty, Aviator

Ford and Lincoln released information on a flurry of recalls this morning. There are three in total, and they span different models and separate issues. Those models include the 2013-17 Ford Explorer, 2020-21 Lincoln Aviator and 2020-21 Ford F-350 Super Duty. We’ll organize these three in order of most cars recalled. 2013-17 Ford Explorer This recall includes a substantial 774,696 vehicles, of which 676,152 are in North America. Why? Ford says these vehicles “may experience a seized cross-axis ball joint that may cause a fractured rear suspension toe link.” The diminished steering control that would follow could increase the likelihood of a crash, Ford states. Only vehicles that spent time in high corrosion states should be affected, Ford says. That means places that lay salt down, experience cold weather and high humidity. Owners of these vehicles will need to take their car into the dealership, where it will be inspected to determine if it needs work. If so, Ford will replace the cross-axis ball joint/knuckle, then replace the toe links with a newly-designed part. Notifications to owners of these vehicles are scheduled to be sent out the week of August 23.  WeÂ’ll note that Ford is reporting six “allegations of injury” related to this issue. For those who donÂ’t live in the high-corrosion states/their car was never registered in those states, Ford is offering a customer satisfaction program in case you were interested in having the work done anyway. 2020-21 Lincoln Aviator Lincoln is pulling back 40,995 new Aviators due to an improperly secured battery cable wire harness. This recall applies to gasoline-only versions of the Aviator, so Grand Touring PHEV buyers neednÂ’t worry. The wire harness may contact the AC compressor pulley due to it being secured improperly. Ford says that over time, the pulley could rub through the wire harnessÂ’ insulation, resulting in a short circuit and ultimately a fire. However, Ford is not currently aware of any injuries or fires related to this concern as of now. When you bring your car in, the dealer will inspect all the parts to determine what needs to be done. Fixes range from a basic tie strap to keep the harness away from the pulley (if it hasnÂ’t made contact yet), to replacement of the wire harness and AC belt if the contact has caused damage. Owners should expect to be notified the week of July 30 if their Aviator is involved in the recall.