By Charles Lefebvre

Ford issues safety recall on 1.3 million vehicles in North America

Mar 14, 2018 | 10:39 AM

DEARBORN, MICH. — Ford Motor Company has issued a recall on 1.3 million vehicles in North America due to a safety issue.

The company announced the recall n Wednesday due to potentially loose steering wheel bolts that could result in a steering wheel detaching from the steering column.

The company says in the affected vehicles, the steering wheel bolt may not maintain torque, causing it to loosen over time. If it isn’t serviced, the wheel could detach and lead to a loss of control and an increased risk of a crash. Ford says there have been two accidents with one injuries allegedly resulting from the issue.

The following vehicles are impacted by the recall.

-2014-17 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Aug. 6, 2013 to Feb. 29, 2016

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-2014-18 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 25, 2013 to March 5, 2018

-2014-18 Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 25, 2013 to March 5, 2018.

The majority of the vehicles are located in the United States, but 62,479 are in Canada. The Ford reference number for the recall is 18S08.

Dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt on the vehicle with a longer bolt with a more robust thread at no cost to the owner.

The company also issued a separate recall for certain Ford Focus and Ford Fusion models for  clutch pressure plate fracture, which could pose a fire risk.

Vehicles affected by this recall include:

-2013-16 Ford Focus vehicles with 1.0-liter Fox GTDI engines and B6 manual transmissions built at Michigan Assembly Plant, July 21, 2014 to June 30, 2016

-2013-15 Ford Fusion vehicles with 1.6-liter Sigma GTDI engines and B6 manual transmissions built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, March 9, 2012 to June 28, 2014.

The company says no incidents have been reported in connection with this issue. The total number of vehicles affected include 5,357 in the United States and 515 in Canada. The Ford recall number is  18S07.

The company says dealers will update the software in the Focus to detect and prevent prolonged clutch slip and will evaluate the clutch for wear, replacing it as needed. The Fusion will receive a new clutch, at no charge to the owner.