Ford handling is better with the wheels attached.
Ford Motor Company is recalling Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years because the wheels fall off during driving. Almost 130,000 of Ford’s most popular sedan are affected by the safety defect. A stop sale or stop demonstrating the cars is now in place at Ford dealerships until the vehicles are inspected and all of the lug nuts replaced.
NHTSA started the Ford wheel defect investigation in January of this year based on complaints from Ford owners, and upgraded it to an engineering analysis in July.
It appears that NHTSA forced the Ford recall after a meeting early in November as complaints continued. Two root causes for the latest Ford safety recall were listed in the required NHTSA documentation: Hayes supplied steel wheels could be defective; and so could Mexican-built Brembo disc brake rotors.
Ford’s recall number is 11S23. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford is scrambling to get the necessary repair parts so the recall won’t begin until the end of January 2012. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
