Ford is recalling some 155,000 pickup trucks and SUVs to fix a faulty cruise-control-switch system that could corrode over time, overheat, and ignite. Ford already had recalled some 5.8 million vehicles — one of the largest recalls in automotive history — within the past two years because of engine fires linked to cruise-control systems in 1994-2002 model trucks, vans, and SUVs.
Vehicles affected by this latest recall include 2003 versions of the F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty truck, the Ford Excursion SUV, and the Lincoln Blackwood pickup truck.
While any recall would be bad news for Ford at this juncture, the F-150 pickup is a critical element in a turnaround plan that has involved massive employee buyouts and an unprecedented level of debt for the teetering Detroit automaker. The F-150 has been the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. market for three decades, but F-Series sales have been weakened by a housing construction slowdown. This recall won't help.
[Source: The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)]
