Ford issues four new recalls affecting about 600,000 vehicles

Ford issued four new recalls Wednesday, involving almost 600,000 vehicles in North America, in a week where safety officials are highlighting the need to ensure recalls are issued and vehicles fixed in a timely manner.

Ford’s latest recalls include about 520,000 vehicles to fix steering gear bolts, as well as smaller actions to address parking lights, fuel pumps and heat shields. One accident and no injuries are attributed to the problems cited in the recalls.

The new recalls come after a daylong workshop in Washington on Tuesday organized by Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who is concerned that action is not being taken fast enough to address a number of major recalls involving numerous automakers.

The new Ford recalls include:

▪ 518,313 2013-15 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ midsize sedans and 2015 Ford Edge crossovers, including 487,301 in the U.S. for bolts on steering gear motor attachments that can corrode, crack and break, leaving the driver in manual steering mode, which is tougher to steer, especially at slow speeds. The recall is for vehicles in parts of North America where corrosion is possible. Dealers will replace the bolts and replace damaged gears.

▪ 22,616 2015 Lincoln MKZ midsize sedans, including 21,435 in the U.S., because when the headlamps are on, the park lamps are brighter than regulations allow. Dealers will update the software on the affected vehicles.

▪ 91 2015 Ford F-150 pickups, including 73 in the U.S., where some underbody heat shields may be missing or improperly installed, which poses the risk of fire. No accidents, injuries or fires have been reported. Dealers will inspect the trucks assembled at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan and install missing components as needed.

▪ 50,157 2014 Ford Focus, Edge, Escape and Transit Connect vehicles and 2014-15 Ford Fiestas, including 45,505 in the U.S., because a problem with the nickel plating on the fuel pump could cause it to seize and then the vehicle could stall or not start. Ford has been alerted to an accident that may be related to the problem. The vehicles were built at the Michigan and Louisville assembly plants in the U.S.; the Oakville, Ontario, plant in Canada; the Cuautitlán plant in Mexico and the Valencia plant in Spain. Dealers will replace the fuel delivery module.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Ford issues four new recalls affecting about 600,000 vehicles."