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Ford recalling 830,000 vehicles to replace side door latches

The Basics: Ford is conducting a recall for roughly 830,000 models. The affected vehicles include the 2013 to 2015 Ford C-Max, 2012 to 2015 Ford Focus, 2013 to 2015 Ford Escape, 2015 Lincoln MKC, 2015 Ford Mustang, and 2014 to 2016 Ford Transit Connect. The recall is focused primarily in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, California, Arizona, Hawaii, Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Washington, and Oregon as the problem mostly affects cars in states with warm weather. The Problem: The pawl spring tab in the side door latch in the affected vehicles could break, preventing the door from latching and could even cause the door to open while driving. Injuries/Deaths: There is one reported injury and one reported accident. The Fix: Dealers will replace the affected cars' side door latches. If you own one: Reach out to your local Ford dealer to schedule a service. Related Video: Related Gallery 2015 Ford Mustang: First Drive View 55 Photos News Source: FordImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Recalls Ford Lincoln lincoln mkc

2016 Ford Focus RS leaked ahead of official debut

We won't officially see the new Ford Focus RS until the Blue Oval shows it to the world at an event on Tuesday, but here it is ahead of time, courtesy of the folks at Evo. As you can see, this is one hot little hatch, and if Evo's story is to be believed, those aggressive looks will be backed up with some pretty serious performance. Power is said to come from Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder engine, though the magazine's estimate of 250 horsepower seems awfully conservative to us (considering that's less than the current Focus ST). If earlier reports are to be believed, we think the RS will come packing more like 300 hp, if not more. For the first time, the Focus RS will use all-wheel drive with brake-operated torque-vectoring, and Evo says that up to 70 percent of the engine's power can be sent to the rear wheels. Hitting 60 miles per hour will reportedly take less than five seconds. Otherwise, it's business as usual, with a mean-looking exterior complete with the necessary aero bits (notice that wing!), and inside, we can see a beefy set of Recaro chairs. That's really all we know for now, but stay tuned for more when the Focus RS makes its official debut in the not-too-distant future. Related Video:

Ford sticking with manuals for RS models

Traditional stick-shift gearboxes may be losing ground quickly to dual-clutch transmissions, but Ford knows what hot hatch enthusiasts want. That's why it's sticking with manual transmissions on its RS models for the foreseeable future. The Blue Oval automaker caught our attention yesterday when it revealed the new Focus RS, packing an upgraded version of the turbo four from the Mustang, a trick new all-wheel-drive system and an old-school six-speed manual. After speaking to Ford's product chief Raj Nair at the hot hatch's launch, Autocar reports that the six-speed is here to stay. "All our current research says that customers really like these kinds of cars to have a manual gearbox," Nair told the British publication. "We'll keep looking at market trends, and of course we'll give customers what they want, but for now the manual stays." Autocar further suggests that the same principle will apply to any further Rallye Sport models, so if and when a Fiesta RS rolls around, it's likely it will stick with a stick as well. Although the less potent Focus ST is offered in diesel and wagon forms overseas, wherever it's sold and in whatever form, the six-speed stays a constant in that model as well, just as it does in the smaller Fiesta ST. That doesn't mean that other Ford Performance models won't go without a clutch pedal, though. The new GT employs a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the new F-150 Raptor channels its muscle through a ten-speed automatic. But as far as Ford's hot hatches go, it looks like the manual will remain alive and well. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Ford Focus RS News Source: Autocar Ford Hatchback Performance manual ford fiesta rs