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Ford to add more than 2,000 jobs in Kansas City

Continued high demand for the Ford F-150, along with the addition of the all-new Transit series of commercial vehicles, has led Ford to announce that it will add over 2,000 jobs at its Kansas City Assembly Plant. At the time of the announcement, the plant boasts 2,450 hourly employees working on two shifts. All told, Ford will invest $1.1 billion in the Kansas City plant to expand truck production and begin producing the Transit series.
According to the automaker, fullsize truck sales are up 19 percent through April of 2013, leading to an additional 900 workers and a third shift of production for the F-150. Production of the Transit series will begin in the fourth quarter of this year, requiring an additional 1,100 workers. In addition, Ford estimates that a total of 18,000 jobs will be created by suppliers to its Kansas City plant to support the additional vehicle production.
Want to know more? Scroll down for the complete press release.

Ford Recalls '13 Escape For 11th Time

Only in dealer showrooms for two years now, the 2013 Ford Escape has already been recalled for safety hazards 11 times. The most recent recall for the beleaguered vehicle came Friday, when the company announced it was recalling almost 160,000 Escapes and Focus ST hatchbacks from the '13 and '14 model years because of a wiring problem that could cause the engine to stall. Caused by a faulty wiring harness, Ford said the defect could result in reduced power, hesitation or outright stalling. The company said it knew of no crashes or injuries caused by the flaw. Customers affected will be notified by mail. It was the latest problem for a vehicle beset by recalls from the moment it started rolling off the assembly lines. Starting on July 6, 2012, the '13 Escapes have been recalled for an assortment of problems, including multiple hazards with fuel lines that could result in engine fires, fluid leaks in the engine that could also result in fires, problems with engines overheating, delays in airbags deploying and more. Ford

Ken Block walks you through his new 'Hoonigan Racing' HQ

Ken Block seems like one hell of a nice guy. I ran into him at CES this past January, and he dropped the video games he was playing to chat with me for a while. His crew also recently gave our Steve Ewing a tour of the offices you're about to see on this video. Good guy to know.
As it turns out, they're some fairly cool new digs. Dubbed 'Hoonigan Racing Division HQ,' the office is open to Ford Focus ST and Fiesta ST owners who attend the driving program offered out at Miller Motorsports Park. The very same program that Ewing reported on just recently.
Or, if you've no plans to buy an ST or travel to Utah any time soon, you can let Block show you around himself in this MTV Cribs-style video. With interior decorating that relies heavily on shipping containers and luxurious amenities like a ping pong table, 10 refrigerators and a bear(?), there's no lack of eye-candy in the driverly HQ. (Judging by Block's outfit, you'll probably not go thirsty if you're a Monster drinker, either.) Take the tour along with the Gymkhana master, below.