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Ford Fiesta becomes UK all-time best seller

We may regard Ford as an American automaker, but ask a Brit and they may tell you otherwise. The Blue Oval has, after all, been selling cars in the UK since 1903, and started manufacturing there as far back as 1911 when it began local production of the Model T in Manchester. Last year Ford ended 100 years of vehicle manufacturing in the UK when the last Transit van rolled off the assembly line in Southampton, but it's still the biggest-selling automotive marque in Britain.
Ford has led the British market for 34 out of the past 45 years, selling more Fiestas than any other company sells any other car in the UK since 2009... when it overtook the Focus. In fact the Fiesta has now become the best-selling car in British history, topping 4,115,000 units since its introduction in 1976. The previous record was held by - you guessed it - another Ford: the Escort sold 4,105,961 units over the course of its 32 years on the British market.
Although the Fiesta is no longer manufactured in the UK (previous versions having been built at Dagenham until 2002), engines are: the EcoBoost line was developed at the company's R&D center in Essex and are built at the factory in Dunton, while its diesel engines were developed at Dagenham in East London. Even the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine in the Fiesta ST is built in South Wales.

Here's what the UAW will be angling for in next year's contract negotiations

The United Auto Workers union is about to enter a new round of negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers, and this time, the focus is on the end of the two-tier wage system. Introduced in 2007, the two-tier wage system was enacted to allow General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to categorize its hourly employees under two categories: Tier 1 for veteran employees with full rights and benefits, and Tier 2 for short-term or entry-level employees compensated under a different schedule. The idea was that the system would permit the automakers to invest more in their plants and hire new employees as part of their respective recovery plans without being saddled with all the costs associated with hiring full-time employees. Now that the automakers are (more or less) back on their proverbial feet, however, the UAW wants to see an end to the two-tier system, and will likely make that a center-point of its negotiations next year to replace the current arrangement that is scheduled to end in September 2015. Not all members of the UAW will necessarily be interested in ending the two-tier system, however. According to The Detroit News, some Tier 1 workers may be more interested in negotiating a raise in their hourly rate – something which they haven't received in almost a decade. Tier 2 workers, meanwhile, may be more motivated to keep the tiered system in place, as their arrangement includes provisions for profit-sharing payments that have seen the automakers pay out billions to so-called short-term employees in lump-sum payments. Reconciling the two competing demands from two categories of union members and presenting a united front in negotiations may prove the biggest challenge for the UAW's new president, Dennis Williams. And with the right to strike – something which was suspended during the last round of negotiations in 2011 – the union has a bigger bargaining chip in its pocket.

Ford announces recall of 220,000 units in three different actions

Ford has announced three separate recalls affecting 220,000 vehicles built between model years 2011 and 2015. By far the biggest affects just under 213,000 Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility SUVs from MY2011 through 2013. In these vehicles, a spring in the doorway handle could be come unseated, Ford reports, causing the doors to open in a side-impact accident. The affected vehicles were built over a wide range of dates, starting with February 1, 2011 and November 30, 2012. As usual, the majority of the 212,911 vehicles were sold in the US market – 194,484 vehicles, in fact, while Canada and Mexico split the remainder, with 12,392 and 6,035, respectively. The other two recalls focus on specialty vehicles, with Ford recalling 6,500 F-Series Super Duty ambulances and emergency trucks from model years 2011 to 2015. In the case of the 2014 and 2015 F-Series, only trucks with the 6.7-liter turbodiesel are affected. These trucks may have faulty exhaust gas sensors, which according to Ford, could cause the trucks to think they're in a high-temperature situation. The trucks in questions were built at Ford's Kentucky truck plant between February 22, 2010 and February 1, 2015. Finally, the Blue Oval is recalling 1,725 specialty Lincoln MKT crossovers from MY2013 to 2015. These include limos and hearses built between March 6, 2012 and March 4, 2015. Affected MKTs may have a faulty vacuum pump relay that could cause a fire under the hood. In the case of the Explorers, dealers will inspect all four door handles and repair them as needed. The Super Duty's will get software updates, while the MKTs will have the vacuum pump relays replaced outright. A pair of MKT fires has been the only reported incident caused by the recalled components, while the company is unaware of any injuries or deaths. Scroll down for the official press release from Ford. Related Video: FORD ISSUES THREE SAFETY RECALLS IN NORTH AMERICA DEARBORN, Mich., March 25, 2015 – Ford is issuing three safety recalls in North America. No accidents or injuries are attributed to these conditions. Details are as follows: Ford issues safety recall for certain 2011-2013 Ford Explorer and Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles for interior door handle issue Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 213,000 2011-2013 Ford Explorer and Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles in North America (actual 212,911) for an issue with the spring that controls the interior door handles.