Feds Close Two Ford Safety Investigations
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators closed two investigations into safety issues in Ford Motor Co. vehicles —deciding that a recall of 1.1 million F-150s and other trucks was sufficient to address concerns, the government said Thursday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was closing its investigation into more than 1 million F-150 trucks after it was satisfied with Ford's recall, reported The Detroit News.
In August, Ford said it was calling back 1997-2004 F-150s in "salt-belt" states after reviewing 700 complaints of corrosion of steel straps holding up fuel tanks.
Most of reports involved one or both straps failing — and about half involved the tank dropping and or dragging on the ground. There were 180 reports of leaking fuel.
Ford said 97 percent of complaints came from states that use large amounts of road salt.
Ford received two reports of a vehicle fire destroying a vehicle and a third in which a fire destroyed the vehicle and injured a driver.
"Ford's recall action appears to adequately address the problem at this time," NHTSA said in a report closing its investigation.
The recall covers some 1997-1999 F-250 and 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood trucks. The recall covers vehicles sold or registered in 21 salt-belt states, including Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and the District of Columbia.
Separately, NHTSA said it is also closing an investigation into 387,354 2010-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs into complaints that the liftgate glass shattered without warning.
NHTSA said it reviewed nearly 300 complaints into the issue, including 15 minor injuries.
Ford acknowledged a higher than normal level of glass breakage incidents in the 2010 model year and early 2011 vehicles.
Ford investigated the incidents "but failed to identify an anomaly in the glass manufacturing process" to explain the spike in reports, NHTSA said.
In November, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin to include broken liftgate glass on all 2010 Escape and Mariners — as well as some 2011 models.
In September 2004, Ford recalled about 955,000 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs from the 2002 and 2003 model years to replace the liftgate glass strut brackets and hinges.
More Industry

World EV Adoption Set to Grow
A new report says the segment, despite recent setbacks in some regions, is poised for acceleration as many countries look to reduce pollution.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Wholesale automotive auction business stayed steady last week as bidders encountered lower prices, analysts observed.
Read More →
Pricing Transparency Drives Purchase Consideration
An annual study by JD Power found that clear pricing matters to consumers on automaker websites, so much so that it increases their purchase consideration.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Used-vehicle market depreciation was the prevailing story in the wholesale market last week.
Read More →
Smaller Is Looking Better
A growing number of Americans in the market for a new vehicle are opting for more affordable options, not waiting for market stability to bite the bullet.
Read More →
U.S. EV Market Slowly Stabilizes
U.S. electric-vehicle interest is slowly stabilizing since a major dip in sales after last year's end of the federal EV tax credit, and hybrids remain the leading electrified power train.
Read More →
Global EV Market Entering New Phase
Automakers are making investments to lower battery costs and optimize production to meet changing consumer needs.
Read More →
Black Book Weekly Market Update
The holiday weekend, not surprisingly, put a drag on wholesale automotive activity last week, analysts observed.
Read More →
Auto Affordability in Context
Cox Automotive points out the complex circumstances that have led to eye-popping vehicle prices.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Automotive auction inventory increased last week, giving choosy bidders even more leeway.
Read More →