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Slew of Ford recalls affect more than a million vehicles

Ford is closing out September with the sad task of alerting owners to five different recalls, two of them camera related. The first is a safety compliance recall affecting 620,246 units of 12 models from the 2020 model year: Edge, Escape, Expedition, Explorer, F-150 and Super Duty, Mustang, Ranger, and Transit, plus the Lincoln Corsair, MKX, and Nautilus. On these vehicles, the circuit board in the rearview camera suffers from insufficient electrical conductivity. The issue can cause the resulting image to not appear or to be distorted, which can lead to an accident while reversing. Ford will begin notifying owners as of November 7 to get their vehicles to dealers for replacement of the rearview camera. The internal Ford reference for this recall is 20C19. The second camera-related issue affects the 2020 and 2021 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Aviator with the 360-degree camera. Technically, if you own a 2021 Explorer that only has a rearview camera and not a 360-degree camera, neither the above recall nor this one apply to you, but it's probably better safe than sorry here. There are 354,330 crossovers covered by this action. A video output issue could cause the displayed image to cut out, increasing the chances of a reversing accident. Ford will notify dealers starting October 7, the fix being to have a dealer update the Image Processing Module software. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 21V735, Ford’s internal reference number is 21S44.  The F-250 and F-350 Super Duty are in for another recalls thanks to potentially improper welds on the front axle's wheel end yoke. A bad weld could alter steering performance, getting the truck to pull left or right, or change the sensitivity of the steering. There are 9,628 affected trucks in the U.S. and 961 in Canada. Dealers will replace the axle assembly if any bad welds are found. Ford's reference number for this is 20S56. The fourth recall affects 38,005 Mustangs in the U.S. and another 2,873 Mustangs in Canada and Mexico from the 2020 model year. In this instance, the brake pedal bracket might fracture during sudden stopping, which can decrease brake pressure and increase the chances of an accident. Ford's internal reference for this recall is 20S52, the fix being to have a dealer replace the brake pedal bracket assembly. Finally, 126,033 units of the 2011 to 2013 Explorer are being recalled over a potential suspension issue.

2015 F-150 kick-starts Ford sales

The F-150 had a middling year in 2014, and its sales dipped slightly as Ford transitioned to producing the all-new truck with an aluminum body. But with one factory humming, another on the way and a fuller stock of trucks, 2015 is already shaping up to be a different story. The F-Series posted a 17-percent leap in January, helping to push Ford sales to a 15-percent gain for the month. The F-Series had its best January performance in 11 years with sales of 54,370 trucks last month. Much of this strength comes from the new generation of the F-150. While many of the old model are still being sold off, Ford is rolling out the new version. Just five percent of the F-150's retail sales were the new truck in December, but it was up to 18 percent in January. The increase comes as the first factory that makes the truck, Ford's Dearborn facility, is fully back online. The other F-150 factory, in Kansas City, is still completing its changeover to build the aluminum-bodied truck, and that's expected to be finished in the first quarter of this year. Sales of the truck will still be "tempered a bit" until the Kansas City plant ramps up, Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said. Ford expects to have a full inventory of F-150s by mid-year. To that end, the company announced plans on Wednesday to add 1,550 jobs to support the F-150, including 900 positions at the Kansas City factory. The remaining jobs will be spread out over sites in metro Detroit. The Dearborn and Kansas City factories collectively will be able to build more than 700,000 F-150s annually. The added headcount also means Ford has reached the maximum number of entry-level workers allowed under its pact with the United Auto Workers. About 300 to 500 employees at several plants in the Midwest will transition to a higher pay rate, and their wages will rise from $19.28 an hour to $28.50 an hour. The F-Series was Ford's hottest seller in January, moving off lots in an average of 12 days. The high-end models, the King Ranch and the Platinum versions, are moving slightly quicker. The average transaction price is also up $2,100 for the F-150 compared to January 2014. "We're really pleased with how the new one is doing on dealer lots," Merkle said. A larger stock of F-150s will allow Ford and its rivals to capitalize on low fuel prices, which have slowed consumers' interest in smaller vehicles.

Ford Mustang GT350R adds a lot more than just a new letter [w/videos]

Okay Chevrolet, the ball is in your court. Ford served up one hell of a rebuttal to the track-focused Camaro Z/28, introducing the limited-production Mustang GT350R, complete with over 500 horsepower, over 400 pound-feet of torque and freaking carbon-fiber wheels. Carbon-fiber wheels. Seriously. It's because of those 19-inch hoops, along with some other changes, that Ford was able to slice 130 pounds from the already lightweight GT350 Track Pack. The wheels are responsible for a 13-pound reduction in unsprung weight per corner, while the removal of such superfluous things like the air conditioning, stereo, rear seats, trunk carpet, backup camera and tire inflator accounts for the rest of the weight reduction. Along with the lower weight, Ford has thoroughly reworked the GT350's aerodynamics, adding a simply monstrous rear wing and diffuser, along with vented wheel wells, a new hood vent that both extracts heat and reduces lift. Beside the aero aids, Ford has shod the carbon-fiber wheels in ultra-grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, just to guarantee the shiny side remains up. View 21 Photos Ford retained the standard GT350's 5.2-liter, flat-pane V8, Torsen limited-slip differential (complete with a 3.73 rear axle ratio), although as power figures haven't been published for the standard car, there's no way to know whether the GT350R received a power bump. What we do know, though, is that the GT350R will not be limited to the track. While that's certainly its natural habitat, owners will be able to register and drive this monster on public roads. Take a look at the official press release on the GT350R, available below. And also be sure to have a peek at both Ford's stock photos of the new car, as well as our full gallery of live images, direct from the Blue Oval's Detroit Auto Show press conference home at Joe Louis Arena. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.