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Auto blog

2015 Ford F-150 claims segment's best payload, towing ratings

While we are set to drive the new, 2015 Ford F-150 in the coming days, there's a big piece of news on the latest-generation of the Blue Oval's bread-and-butter pickup coming out of Dearborn, and it focuses on the truck's hauling and towing abilities.
The new F-150 will have a maximum payload of 3,300-pounds (V8 models), and, perhaps more importantly, a 12,200-pound tow rating (EcoBoost V6 models), which for the first time are compliant with the Society of Automotive Engineer's J2807 standards. Those best-in-class figures are significant feathers in Ford's cap as the Detroit Three continue duking it out for the title of top pickup.
"As founding members of the SAE trailer towing committee, we will meet SAE trailer towing standards," Ford's Aaron Miller told Autoblog.

Ford recalls select Explorer, E-Series vans

Just a few days ago we brought you news that Ford had issued a recall on 28,000 units of the Edge crossover for problems related to the fuel line. But now the Blue Oval has issued recall notices on two more of its larger vehicles.
The first relates to the Explorer, 395 examples of which from the 2011 and 2012 model years were found to have problems with their steering systems if they underwent service after September 1, 2013. An apparent software glitch could lock the steering gear, preventing the driver from steering the vehicle and thereby increasing the risk of a crash. As a result, Ford dealers are being instructed to check their records to identify the problematic vehicles and bring them in to have the steering gear replaced. Details of the recall can be found in the PDF linked here.
The second problem revolves around E-Series vans that may develop bubbles in their windshields under hot temperatures. The decrease in visibility through the problematic windshield could - you guessed it - "increase the risk of a crash." As a result, Ford is calling in 4,532 units of the E-150, E-250, E-350 and E-450 vans built in the relatively short window between May 12 and May 26, 2011. Details of this recall can be found in the notice below from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ford bumped by Amazon in best-perceived brand list

Back in July, a mid-year study from YouGov found Ford to have higher brand perception than any other company in the US. While Ford failed to top the year-end study, it still has plenty to brag about. The final BrandIndex report shows that online retail giant Amazon edged out Ford for the top ranking, while Subway, the History Channel and Lowe's rounded out the top five spots.
For Ford, it's still an improvement from sixth place in the 2012 study, and, more importantly, it dominated other automakers in terms of brand perception with a clear advantage over Toyota, Honda, Chevy and Volkswagen. To determine how well - or not so well - a brand is perceived, YouGov uses a Buzz score that asks respondents whether they've "heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth" and whether it was positive or negative. While it isn't clear how many respondents were included, YouGov does point out that Ford had a strong presence in social media, advertising and newsworthy toward the end of the year.
For more details about the study and the top companies, check out the press release posted below.