Ford Recalls Over 650,000 Pickups For Brake Hose
The Ford Motor Co. is recalling over 650,000 of it's top selling F-150 pickups as well as a Lincoln-branded truck because of a problem with the brake hose that could cause the vehicles to lose braking power.
So far, the automaker has recalled Ford F150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks years 2005 and 2006. This information was posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website on Wednesday.
The Ford trucks affected by the recall are equipped with 5.4-liter engines. The brake hose on those trucks can possibly detach from the manifold, causing the driver to lose the "assist" function, which provides additional power to the brakes, according to the safety notice.
According to the Ford spokesman, Wes Sherwood, the trucks could still be stopped with the remaining brake power, but it would require drivers to apply "more force to the pedal."
To date, Ford has received reports of 11 minor accidents, but no injuries because of the recalled part.
The huge recall covers almost 606,000 vehicles in the United States and comes just as Ford is gearing up to launch all-new versions of its F-series pickup truck line.
U. S. sales of the Ford trucks are down 16 percent this year in a downturn tied to high gasoline prices and a slumping U. S. housing market.
According to Ford, there is a similar recall procedure in Canada as well. 50,000 are on the road in Canada that are covered by the U. S. government recall.
Customers in the United States and Canada affected by the recall could have the brake hoses replaced at Ford dealerships starting in late June.
