Ford, Chrysler recall over 160,000 vehicles

WASHINGTON - Automobile giants - Ford Motor Company and Chrysler - have announced the recall of more than 160,000 vehicles for repairing manufacturing defects, a media report said Friday.

Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it is recalling 19,600 trucks and crossover sports utility vehicles (SUVs) over concerns that an electrical short could cause a fire, the CNN reported.

Chrysler Group LLC is also recalling nearly 145,000 trucks and crossover wagons in three separate campaigns for steering, stalling and airbag concerns, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said.

Ford decided to recall certain models of F-150 trucks, Super Duty trucks (F-250 through F-550) and its Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles after fires started in the cabs of two F-150 trucks at a Michigan assembly plant in November and December, the company said in a letter to the NHTSA.

Technical experts found that a body control module manufactured by Lear Corp. was the source.

Ford said, the shorts could cause overheating, which could lead to an unattended vehicle fire.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood was quoted as saying: “… We are notifying affected owners and asking them to bring their vehicles to their local dealers to determine if the module was built during the affected time period and whether replacement is necessary.”

About 14,730 of the recalled vehicles are in the US and its territories, Ford said in its letter to the safety administration. Most of the rest are in Canada, Sherwood said.

Ford said it will start sending letters to vehicle owners from Jan 10 next year. Consumers can contact local Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealers or Ford’s toll-free service to determine whether their particular vehicle falls under the recall.

Chrysler’s recalls include one for 22,274 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks, with the manufacturer saying a ball stud at the end of a tie rod could fracture and lead to a loss of steering.

Also recalled are 65,180 2009 Dodge Journey crossover wagons manufactured between November 2007, and September 2008, because side airbags may not deploy in a crash.

Chrysler said side-impact pressure sensor circuits may be at risk of fatigue and breaking - a condition noticed after consumers reported they were seeing their airbag warning lamps light up.

A third Chrysler recall involves 56,611 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks because of a rear axle bearing that could seize and cause the vehicle to stall, Chrysler said.

The company said it received 20 reports alleging axle-bearing noise or failure, and that most of the failures happened within 500 miles of driving.

Chrysler’s recalls are expected to begin in February next year, according to NHTSA.