Ford Motor is recalling 2013 Fusion sedans because of defective headlights. Due to a faulty manufacturing process affecting more than 19,000 of the Mexican-built sedans, the headlights can become hazy in use, reducing the brightness of the low-beam lamp.
In a required safety defect filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford said this may decrease driver visibility and increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
In a communication with dealers, Ford said to stop sales of Fusion models in stock and give priority to customer vehicles while the supplier Valeo Sylvania in Mexico increases production of replacement headlamp assemblies. Ford will give dealers credit for giving customers a rental car for one day and reimburse dealers for washing the recalled Fusion and topping the tank with gasoline.
This is the second major recall on the newly revised Fusion that is based on the European Mondeo model. The first safety recall occurred because of engine fires on the 1.6-liter engine. Ford said it would make “software updates” to the cooling system of the 1.6-liter engine available in the SE and SEL models of the Escape and 2013 Fusion. The software updates are claimed to manage engine temperatures during a “unique overheating condition.” In a release, Ford said the original cooling system design was not able to address a loss of coolant system pressure under certain operating conditions, which could lead to a vehicle fire while the engine was running. (Read AutoInformed on Ford Changes Software to Stop New Escape and Fusion Fires)
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.
