USA - Ford Motor Company issues two recalls mainly affecting the Fusion and MKZ.

Ford Motor Company is issuing two safety recalls in North America. Details are as follows:

Ford issues safety recall for certain 2013-16 Ford Fusion, 2015-16 Ford Mondeo and 2013-15 Lincoln MKZ vehicles to insulate seat belt anchor pretensioner cables

Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 650,000 2013-16 Ford Fusion, 2015-16 Ford Mondeo and 2013-15 Lincoln MKZ vehicles to insulate front driver and passenger seat belt anchor pretensioners to prevent cable separation in a crash. 

In the affected vehicles, increased temperatures generated during deployment of the seat belt anchor pretensioner could cause pretensioner cables to separate, which may inadequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing risk of injury.

Ford is aware of two accidents and two injuries associated with this issue.

Affected vehicles include:

• 2013-15 Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Nov. 2, 2012 to July 31, 2014
• 2013 Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Aug. 13, 2012 to Nov. 1, 2012
• 2015-16 Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Aug. 1, 2014 to April 2, 2016
• 2015-16 Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Aug. 1, 2014 to Feb. 22, 2016
• 2014-15 Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, April 12, 2013 to July 31, 2014
• 2013-15 MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Nov. 14, 2012 to July 31, 2014
• 2015-16 Mondeo vehicles built at Valencia Assembly Plant, Aug. 5, 2014 to July 31, 2016

There are approximately 680,872 vehicles affected, including 602,739 in the United States, 35,614 in Canada, 8,665 in Mexico and 653 in federalized territories. The Ford reference number for this recall is 16S42.

Dealers will inject a conformal coating into the front driver and passenger seat belt anchor pretensioner to protect the cables from increased temperatures generated during deployment at no cost to the customer.

Ford issues safety recall for certain 2017 Ford Fusion vehicles to replace second-row left-rear seat back frame

Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 27 2017 Ford Fusion vehicles to replace the second-row left-rear seat back frame, which may have been built with improperly welded pivot pins. 

In the affected vehicles, seat backs with pivot pins that were improperly welded may not adequately retain cargo in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this issue.

Affected vehicles include certain 2017 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Sept. 27, 2016 to Sept. 28, 2016.

There are approximately 27 vehicles affected, including 25 in the United States and two in Canada. The Ford reference number for this recall is 16S43.

Dealers will replace the second-row left-rear seat back frame at no cost to the customer.

Ford gets its employee's to place incorrect parts into various vehicles to see how easy they are to locate via the new systems in place.

• “Gremlin Tests”  help realise Ford’s commitment to quality, alongside industry-first digital photo tech that records, checks and traces all vehicle parts at mega-plant in Valencia, Spain
• Vision System takes more than one billion photographs every 14 days – comparable to the number of photographs uploaded to Instagram in Europe

Ford employees are tasked with secretly planting wrong and faulty parts onto the assembly line, including incomplete steering wheels and faulty engine components, as part of a process to ensure all new vehicles built at the plant in Valencia meet Ford’s rigorous quality standards.

Xabier Garciandia’s working day involves literally trying to put a spanner into the works of one of the world’s most advanced auto plants – by making sure wrong parts and faulty components are secretly placed on the assembly line.

Ford’s industry-first Vision System photographs, checks and tracks every single part of each of the 400,000 cars and vans assembled, and 330,000 engines built at the Ford Valencia plant each year.  “Gremlin Tests” are an innovative way of ensuring that each process is working correctly.

“The Vision System is crucial to ensuring every single part of each vehicle is just right,” said Garciandia, technical specialist, Valencia Engine Vision System, Ford of Europe. “The ‘Gremlin Test’ means we can ensure the system is working perfectly.  It is a game with a very serious point; we are making them harder to spot all the time.”

Ford produces more Ford models at the state-of-the-art Ford mega-plant in Valencia than anywhere else in Europe, including Kuga, Kuga Vignale, Mondeo, Mondeo Vignale, Galaxy, S-MAX and Transit Connect and Tourneo Connect.  Ford’s 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre Ecoboost engines are also built at the plant.

The Vision System captures more than a billion photos every 14 days, comparable to the number of photos uploaded to Instagram in Europe. * This also helps to generate a composite image – consisting of 3,150 digital photographs – that highlights any discrepancies to engineers on the spot.

Faulty engine parts, wrong steering wheels, and even incorrect dashboards have been sent down the line, with the “Gremlin Test” now extended to all 34 stages of assembly.

“The way in which we all use digital cameras has totally changed the way we record our daily way of life, and is now transforming the way we build engines and cars,” said Garciandia. “But we also have to test the tests, and we are doing this in a way that is very simple, but which we believe is unique in the auto industry.”

Ford has introduced a range of rigorous and in some instances unusual quality processes at the plant where a new vehicle rolls off the production line every 40sec.

These include:

• Ultra-sensitive microphones used to register engine connectors
• “Engine listeners”ensure each new Ford Focus RS is running flawlessly
• Ostrich feathers that are used to dust models before painting to enhance paint quality
• An industry-first digital camera system that identifies vehicle bodyshell paint defects
• Vehicle audio testing that reflects customer use of audio streamed via Bluetooth
• A virtual rolling road test to evaluate advanced driver technologies

14 engine combinations make the new Mondeo the best all round choice for some while.

• All-new Ford Mondeo now available to order with 14 powertrain combinations delivering power of choice with the broadest-ever Mondeo line-up for customers
• Ford begins production of Mondeo with award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, efficient new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel, and high-power 210PS 2.0-litre diesel engines
• Mondeo range extended to include models equipped with Ford Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, in addition to the four-door Mondeo Hybrid, five-door and estate body-styles
• Ford receives almost 5,000 Mondeo orders in the UK since launch late last year; half of customers opt for advanced Dynamic LED headlight and Active Park Assist technology
• Available to order in April for summer delivery 

Ford has further expanded the number of powertrain combinations that are available to order for the all-new Ford Mondeo to provide the widest ever choice to customers in Europe.

Production has now started of models equipped with Ford’s multi-award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost – the first 1.0-litre petrol engine in the segment, priced from £19,995. 

The line-up is further extended with a new 210PS bi-turbo 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine; fuel-efficient new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine; and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive technology for optimised traction and performance.

All-new Mondeo now offers 14 powertrain combinations as part of a comprehensive four-door, five-door and wagon body-style range, including:

• 125PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol manual
• 160PS 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol manual and automatic
• 240PS 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol automatic
• 120PS 1.5-litre TDCi diesel manual
• 150PS and 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel manual and automatic
• 150PS and 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel Intelligent All-Wheel Drive
• 210PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel automatic
• 87PS petrol-electric hybrid

Mondeo also offers ultra-low CO₂ ECOnetic models, and Ford’s new upscale Vignale product and ownership experience will debut with the Ford Vignale Mondeo later this year.

“With the full range of powertrains now rolling off the production line at our state-of-the-art plant in Valencia, Spain, Ford now offers the widest ever choice for Mondeo customers,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe. “Sophisticated technology like our segment-first Inflatable Rear Seatbelts helps make Mondeo an even more compelling choice.”

Ford received almost 5,000 orders in the UK for the all-new Mondeo since the vehicle was launched late last year. Sales of the all-new Mondeo were up 29 per cent year-over-year in January and order take was up 60 per cent as the model is rolling out to Ford dealerships across Europe.

Advanced technologies have proved popular, with 53 per cent of customers specifying Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking, and 44 per cent choosing Dynamic LED headlights.

Innovative new engines

Ford’s 125PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine version of Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is uniquely calibrated for Mondeo to deliver 55.4mpg and 119g/km CO₂ emissions.*

Named International Engine of the Year in 2014 for an unprecedented third time in a row, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost delivers the power of a larger engine with core EcoBoost technologies including high-pressure direct fuel injection, and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing. A low inertia turbocharger spins at up to 248,000rpm, more than 4,000 times per second and almost twice the maximum rpm of the turbochargers powering 2014 F1 race car engines.

Ford’s new bi-turbo 2.0-litre TDCi engine delivers 210PS and 450Nm of torque – available from 2000rpm – with CO₂ emissions of 124 g/km and 58.8 mpg.* The new engine is combined with Ford’s six-speed PowerShift twin-clutch automatic gearbox, and enables 0-62mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds, priced at £750 over the equivalent specification 180PS model.

Electronically-controlled sequential bi-turbo design enables faster engine response. A small, low-inertia turbine is used to respond quickly to initial boost demand, and a larger high-inertia turbo is able to sustain greater boost pressure for peak performance.

Ford’s advanced new 120PS 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine replaces the 115PS 1.6-litre TDCi, reducing CO₂emissions by 5g/km to 104g/km with optimised combustion chamber design, new high-pressure fuel injection and Variable Nozzle Turbocharger technology delivering 70.6 mpg.*

The new Euro Stage VI emissions-compliant 1.5-litre TDCi also features a lean NO_X trap for cleaner exhaust emissions, while internal friction is reduced with microscopic applications of diamond-like coating.

Sophisticated all-wheel drive

All-new Mondeo customers can now also specify Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with the 150PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and six-speed manual transmission, or 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission. The Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system is offered at £1,500 over the equivalent front-wheel drive model.

Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system offers a seamless transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive performance to automatically enhance traction and road-holding when needed. The system continually measures how the car’s wheels are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds, and can adjust power delivery to individual wheels in 100 milliseconds.

“Whether it’s enhancing performance, efficiency, refinement or safety, all-new Mondeo continues to set new levels of expectation,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “Customers already have some fantastic features and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive is another reason for them to be excited.”

The new 2.0-litre TDCi engine with revised engine block, new cylinder-head and fuel injection designs, and Variable Nozzle Turbocharger technology was among the first all-new Mondeo models available to order from September last year. The Mondeo range also includes the new 160PS 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with integrated exhaust manifold technology, 240PS 2.0-litre EcoBoost model, and the all-new Mondeo Hybrid.

The first hybrid electric vehicle ever manufactured by Ford in Europe, the Mondeo Hybrid is available in four-door body-style and uses two electric motors and 1.4kWh lithium-ion battery combined with a 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine to drive at up to 85mph in electric mode. The drivetrain delivers 187PS with 67.3mpg and 99g/km CO₂* and is priced the same as the equivalent to the 2.0-litre TDCi model at £24,995

Advanced technology

Advanced Ford technologies and comfort features have proved to be a hit, including Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking, which enables drivers to detect suitably-sized spaces and reverse hands-free into those parallel to the road or side-to-side with other cars.

Also popular are Dynamic LED headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting System, which adjusts the headlight beam angle and intensity to match driving environment. Heated steering wheels have been specified on 27 per cent of models, and 20 per cent have heated rear seats.

All-new Mondeo also debuts Ford’s new Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection technology, which can detect people in or near the road ahead, or who may cross the vehicle’s path. If the system detects a potential collision it automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings.

Ford’s 150PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine has proved to be the most popular to-date at 43 per cent, while 52 per cent of consumers have opted for the unique-to-Europe estate body-style, with 29 per cent choosing Panther Black paint to highlight the Mondeo’s sports coupe profile and sophisticated and technical front end design.

Model (4/5-door)	Power (PS)	Fuel efficiency* (l/100 km)	CO2 emissions* (g/km)
1.0 EcoBoost 6-spd manual	125	5.1	119
1.5 EcoBoost 6-spd manual	160	48.7	134
1.5 EcoBoost 6-spd auto	160	48.8	146
2.0 EcoBoost 6-spd auto	240	38.7	169
1.5 TDCi 6-spd manual (ECOnetic)	120 (120)	70.6 (78.6)	104 (94)
2.0 TDCi 6-spd manual (ECOnetic)	150 (150)	64.2 (68.9)	115 (107)
2.0 TDCi 6-spd auto	150	58.9	125
2.0 TDCi 6-spd manual	180	64.2	115
2.0 TDCi 6-spd auto	180	58.9	125
2.0 TDCi 6-spd manual AWD	150	58.9	124
2.0 TDCi 6-spd auto AWD	180	54.3	134
2.0 TDCi 6-spd auto	210	58.9	124
2.0 Hybrid Electric	187	67.3	99

* The declared fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions are measured according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EC) 692/2008 as last amended. Fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions are specified for a vehicle variant and not for a single car. 

The applied standard test procedure enables comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car's fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. CO₂ is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. 

Results in MPG also correspond to this European drive cycle and are stated in imperial gallons. The results may differ from fuel economy figures in other regions of the world due to the different drive cycles and regulations used in those markets.