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

First-Half Dealership Deals Up
Buy-sell activity shows that acquirers are looking for value and scale as many retailers seek to leave an increasingly competitive and complex market, Kerrigan Advisors reports.
Read More →
Kia Closes Out Summer With a Bang
Its U.S. subsidiary broke multiple records in August, in part due to a surge of demand for hybrids models.
Read More →
Indiana Dealership Changes Hands
A 30-year-old Ford dealership in Indiana has a new owner and will soon be undergoing renovations to meet manufacturer requirements.
Read More →
Texas Dealership No Longer in the Family
The Ford store, a longtime cornerstone of the Houston market, is now part of one of the fastest-growing U.S. auto groups.
Read More →
Genesis Grows California Presence
The Cardinale Automotive Group opened its third Genesis rooftop in the Golden State, Genesis of San Bruno, a stand-alone dealership serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read More →
August Auto Sales a Mixed Bag
An early forecast shows strong business despite consumer hurdles, and hybrids are a big piece of their affordability coping strategy.
Read More →
EV Market Humming Along
July sales show steady growth as the segment stabilizes from last year’s artificial surge following pullback of federal support.
Read More →
Auto Loan Delinquency Rates Stabilize
Auto loans are a main driver of nonmortgage consumer debt, but delinquency rates stabilized in the second quarter across all credit risk tiers.
Read More →
EV Sales Recover in Q2
The EV sales roller coaster continues as numbers show improvement, but industry experts predict a year-over-year third-quarter decline and fourth-quarter jump.
Read More →
The Cheapest Hybrids to Fuel
The powertrain is increasing in popularity, in no small part due to its fuel economy. A new report lists the most efficient hybrids on the market.
Read More →