The Ranger engine cover can rub through the fuel line, causing gasoline leaks.
Ford Motor Company is recalling 2010 model Ranger pickup trucks because an engine fuel line can chafe and leak. Ford has told dealers to stop the sale of the affected Ranger models until they are repaired.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a fuel line connecting to the throttle body was not properly installed on Ranger pickups with 2.3-liter engines built at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Minnesota (TCAP) from October 15, 2009, through May 19, 2010.
Ford told NHTSA that it is not aware of any fires as a result of this safety defect.
This latest Ford recall is the fifth of 2011 according to a Ford spokesperson, and thus far more than half of the nine safety recalls Ford had in 2010.
Ranger owners will be told to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealer so that technicians can trim the throttle body shield, inspect the fuel line for damage, and replace the line if necessary. Mailing of owner notification letters will start during the week of March 7, 2011.
Ford recalls this year include the rusting Windstar front sub-frame, following a Windstar rear axle recall for corrosion last year; F-150 doors that can pop open during a crash; a defective 2011 Explorer second row seat recliner that isn’t strong enough to meet crash standards; the leaking Ranger fuel line; and a Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and Ford F-Series body control module that can start a fire.
See also:
Ford Recalls 425,000 Windstar Minivans for Bad Steering
Ford Recalls New 2011 Explorer for Defective Seat Backs
Ford Recalls 281,000 F-Series Pickup Trucks for Door Popping
Ford Recalls F-Series, Edge, Lincoln MKX for Fires. “Toyota Effect” at NHTSA as Makers Now Rush to Recall Defects
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.
