According to a Reuters article in The Chicago Tribune, July 23, 2012, when 11,500 Ford Escape SUVs (sport utility vehicles) were recently recalled, all signs pointed to a problem with the fuel lines.
TI Automotive is the part manufacturer that supplies fuel lines to Ford. Ford filed documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week noting that “Some of the fuel lines were ‘mechanically scored’”[1] during manufacture at TI Automotive’s plant in Indiana. There was concern that the scoring, a surface cut, might allow the fuel lines to split open and leak (which could ultimately cause an engine fire).
Ford acted on this problem by contacting Ford Escape owners and requested they stop driving their 2013 model Escapes with 1.6-liter engines. The 2013 Ford Escape SUVs were manufactured at a Louisville, KY, Assembly Plant from October 2011 through July 2012. TI Automotive continues to make fuel lines for the Ford Escape, however, it has “repaired the manufacturing flaw.”[2]
As if the recall of the 11,500 – 2013 Ford Escapes last week didn’t impact Ford’s profit margin or Ford owners enough, yesterday Ford recalled 485,000 Ford Escapes—most of which were model years 2001 through 2004– due to an acceleration defect, causing unintended acceleration. So far, no injuries have been reported due to this defect.[3]
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[1] “Ford sees supplier flaw at root of 2013 Escape recall,” July 23, 2012, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-23/classified/sns-rt-us-ford-escapebre86m1di-20120723_1_de…
[2] Op. Cit.
[3] “Ford recalls 485,000 Escapes on acceleration defect,” July 27, 2012, ST Motoring, StraitsTimes.com/ http://www.straitstimes.com/Motoring/Story/STIStory_826710.html
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