Ford Recalls 1.3 Million Fusions And MKZ Sedans

(CTN News) – As a result of a design flaw inherent in the brake jounce hose, Ford must recall 1,280,726 vehicles in the United States over the possibility of the hose failing prematurely. Some Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs from the model years 2013-2018 will be covered by the campaign.

In response to a previous recall that affected the 2015-2018 Ford Edge and the 2016 Lincoln MKX sedans, Ford has now discovered that the same issue that hampered the braking performance of those SUVs could also affect the above-mentioned sedans, and is therefore taking the necessary steps to remedy it.

Brake jounce hoses, which are short pieces of flexible hose that connect the steel brake lines to the brake caliper and to the steel brake lines, are the weakest link in the system.

Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the hoses will be tested on a rig that only simulates 88 percent of the suspension travel the hoses will actually experience in the real world.

Consequently, some of them are experiencing premature failures as a result. As Ford explains, an elevated failure rate can be attributed to a vehicle’s usage, so the more a vehicle’s suspension has been used (among other factors), the more likely it will be to fail prematurely in the future.

A ruptured part is likely to result in the leak of brake fluid, which could worsen over time. This is likely to lead to progressively worse brake performance, increasing the likelihood of a crash.

In spite of this worsening braking performance, Ford notes that customers who have been experiencing this issue have been able to stop when it first manifested itself, despite the fact that it had worsened over time.

In addition to the brake fluid light illuminated on the dashboard, there will be some warning signs that indicate the development of this problem.

In this case, the problem does not affect Fusion and MKZ hybrids, and the bad hose was used between February 3, 2012, and July 19, 2017. Following the introduction of this new material, Ford’s investigation suggests that it is lasting longer than the previous material.

Ford will begin contacting owners of affected vehicles on April 17th to inform them of the recall. It is anticipated that owners will be required to return their vehicles to a nearby dealer, where the brake jounce hose will be replaced with a newly designed component, free of charge.

In the event that an owner has already paid for this repair out of their own pockets, they will be eligible for reimbursement.

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