2004 Ford Excursion Eddie Bauer Turbo Diesel Nice Clean 4x4 Leather Loaded on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2017-19 Ford Super Duty trucks recalled for tailgates that could open

Ford announced two separate recalls today, though neither has resulted in any known injuries. The first recall, which deals with a tailgate malfunction, affects 261,617 examples of 2017-2019 F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty pickups. The second, which anticipates the possibility of a fuel leak, affects 3,893 units of 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator SUVs with 3.0-liter engines. Ford says tailgates might accidentally open on some 2017-2019 Super Duty trucks because of a short circuit. If the pickups have an electric tailgate latch-release switch on the tailgate handle, water might get into the wiring. If the water hits the right spots, a short circuit could cause the switch to release the tailgate latch. In a worst-case scenario where the tailgate opens while driving, contents of the truck's bed could fall out and create a safety hazard. Dealerships will fix the problem by modifying the tailgate frame wiring harnesses with jumper pigtails and install a new tailgate handle release switch. Of the lot, 231,664 trucks are in the U.S., and 29,953 are in Canada. The Ford recall number is 19S48.  The second recall is much smaller, involving fewer than 4,000 vehicles. In certain 2020 Explorers and Aviators with 3.0-liter engines, Ford says, "The convolute protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line is not long enough, which may allow for potential hard contact with the convolute-protected vapor fuel line. Over time, with vibration and engine roll, hard contact between the two fuel lines could cause the convolute on the vapor fuel line to rub through the plastic liquid fuel line." If that happens, it could be a fire risk and hazardous for drivers and passengers. Only 35 of those SUVs are in Canada, and the rest are in the United States. Dealers will fix the problem by replacing the defective convolute with a full-length piece and tying it down with a strap. The recall reference number for the Aviators and Explorers is 19S49. The recall adds to what has otherwise been a rocky early production phase for the new Explorers and Aviators.

Find out if the Ford Fiesta ST can match Europe's latest hot hatches

The V8 grunt of the Mustang has defined Ford performance cars in the US for the last 50 years, but in Europe, the Blue Oval has nearly as a long history of building some of the best hot hatches on the market with the Fiesta, Escort and later the Focus. The latest Fiesta ST has just hit the roads on both sides of the pond and has been enthusiastically received thanks to its combination of a peppy, turbocharged engine and hatchback utility.
However, Europe is getting a bumper crop of hot hatches at the moment, including the forthcoming, third-generation Mini Cooper S. Should Ford have waited to launch the ST until it knew how the competition performed? That's the answer that Xcar is after in its latest video, and it took the Fiesta to the track and some very misty, Welsh roads to find out. Scroll down to find out whether the ST stacks up.

Petersen Museum celebrates 50 years of Ford Mustang with special exhibit

If you're a pony-car enthusiast, this is your year. Not only has Ford introduced an all-new Mustang, but it's also the 50th anniversary of the original. Celebrations and commemorations have been scheduled throughout the year, and not the least of them is the latest exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Called "Mustangs Forever: 50 Years of a Legend", the exhibit includes Mustangs from every generation of the iconic pony car, including the 1965 convertible Ronald Reagan drove during his California gubernatorial campaign, a 1971 Mach 1 Cobra Jet, a 1974 Mustang II, 1993 SVT Cobra, 2000 Cobra R and a 2006 Shelby GT-H. Special sections focus on motorsports, aftermarket modifiers and limited-edition models. The display opened on Sunday with the Mustang Madness spectacular and will run for the next six months, but if you're not heading to Southern California within the coming half-year then you can scope out all the action in our live gallery of photos above.