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Ford recalls 277,000 Super Duty trucks over foggy rear-view camera

Ford has issued a recall that applies to around 277,000 units of the Super Duty pickup built between the 2017 and 2020 model years. The campaign also includes about 13,000 units of the Lincoln Continental, and it aims to fix an issue that makes the rear-view camera foggy. Assigned recall number 22V-644 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall includes 139,131 units of the F-250, 109,960 units of the F-350, 14,830 units of the F-450, and 13,119 units of the Continental. The affected trucks are all fitted with the Ultimate Trailer Tow Camera system and were built between November 12, 2015, and March 10, 2020, while the affected Lincoln models are equipped with the 360-degree camera and were made from November 30, 2015 to March 10, 2020.  Ford explains "degradation of the coating on an internal rear-view camera lens can lead to a progressively foggy or cloudy image." It adds ultraviolet radiation causes the problem and that this issue increases the risk of an accident, though it's not aware of accidents or injuries. Owners of affected cars and trucks who have already paid to get the issue fixed have until September 30, 2022, to ask Ford for a refund. The company will begin notifying customers about the recall by mail on September 12, 2022, and it will ask them to take their vehicle to the nearest authorized dealer to get the rear-view camera replaced free of charge. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Restoring Headlights | Autoblog Details | Complete Detail Bonus

Jim Farley to lead Ford of Europe

"We are excited to see Jim and Stephen take on these new roles as they bring unique skills, experience and fresh perspectives to these critical positions." - Mark Fields
Ford marketing chief Jim Farley is taking over the company's troubled European operations as part of an executive shuffle confirmed on Friday morning.

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.