1965 Ford Mustang on 2040-cars

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Ford recalling 205k Edge and Lincoln MKX units for possible corrosion

After the horrible weather last winter, it's hard to look forward for the season to return this year. For those readers in much of the country, the snow is going to be flying soon, and with it comes salt on the roads. That means Ford's regional recall for the 2007-2008 Edge and Lincoln MKX arrives at the perfect time because they are at risk for corrosion.
The campaign covers 204,448 examples of the models in 21 states, plus the District of Columbia and some provinces of Canada. In total there are 186,024 vehicles in need of repair in the US and 18,424 in Canada.
According to Ford, it's possible for the area, "under the reinforcement brackets where the fuel tank is mounted" to corrode. If this happens, there might be a gas smell in the vehicle or even a fuel leak could develop. In fact, the automaker reports that one fire could be related to the problem but no injuries or accidents are reported.

Ford Q3 pretax profits drop to $1.18B

Following positive third quarter financial results recently from General Motors, rival Ford took a tumble in Q3. The automaker posted pre-tax profits of $1.18 billion, compared to about $2.59 billion in Q3 2013, a drop of around 54 percent. Net income also suffered with $835 million made in the quarter, versus $1.272 billion last year, a decline of about 34 percent. The Blue Oval blamed the gloomy figures on three reasons in its release: "lower volume, higher warranty costs and adverse balance sheet exchange effects."
There were problems of one kind or another in practically every region. North America experienced higher warranty costs than expected, partially due to recalls. The sales volume for the quarter was 665,000 units, versus 725,000 in Q3 2013, and pre-tax results amounted to $1.41 billion versus $2.296 billion last year.
South America and Europe both posted worse pre-tax results than last year. On the bright side, European volume was up slightly to 321,000 vehicles, from 303,000 in Q3 2013. The Middle East and Africa also lost $15 million, but that was an improvement compared to the $25 million loss previously experienced in this region.

Lincoln plans electrified versions of all models by 2022, say sources

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to offer hybrid gasoline-electric versions of all its U.S. models by 2022, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Details could be announced as early as Oct. 3, when Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett plans to update investors on the automaker's strategy. Company officials are also considering whether to introduce one or more all-electric Lincoln models, one source said. The proposed electrification scheme could be critical to Lincoln's future in China, which will require automakers to make electric vehicles an increasing percentage of their total sales. The Lincoln hybrids are part of a broader Ford program to offer at least 18 new electric and hybrid models over the next five years, the sources said. Lincoln aims to follow a path blazed this year by several European premium brands, including Daimler AG, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's Volvo Cars, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, all of which have announced plans to offer more hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Global luxury brands are responding to competitive pressure from Elon Musk's Tesla Inc, and proposals by the Chinese government to mandate significantly higher levels of electric vehicle sales in the world's largest auto market. The plan to offer a portfolio of Lincoln hybrid models was crafted before Hackett took over in May, the sources said. Ford said in January 2016 it would spend $4.5 billion to electrify a portion of its U.S. fleet, including hybrid versions of the Mustang and the F-150, and at least 11 other models. The extent of its electrification effort, including details on specific new and redesigned models, has not previously been disclosed. A Ford spokesman said the company would not comment on future products. As the Lincoln brand rolls out redesigned versions of its existing models and introduces at least one new model, it is planning to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of those vehicles, beginning with the redesigned MKC crossover and the new Aviator crossover in 2019, the sources said. The redesigned Lincoln Navigator utility vehicle, which goes on sale this autumn, is expected to add a conventional hybrid version in 2019. Subsequent redesigned Lincoln models, including the MKZ sedan in 2020 and the Continental sedan and MKX crossover in 2022, are expected to include plug-in hybrid variants, the sources said.