Ford Focusing On 3 Focus Recalls

DEARBORN, Mich.--The Ford Motor Co. has issued three safety recalls for its Focus line involving rear wheel and brake drum assemblies, A-pillar interior trim, and cruise control cables that can stick the throttle wide open. About 351,000 vehicles are affected by at least one of the actions.

Ford will notify owners of some 260,390 model year 2000 Focuses about the rear hub retaining nut.

Ford has had 15 reports of rear wheel and brake drum assemblies separating from vehicles due to loosening of the hub retaining nut that secures the rear wheel bearings. Ford is asking owners to return to their dealers to have the rear wheel hub assemblies inspected, and repaired if required.

Ford is also notifying owners of about 33,225 model year 2000 Focuses to return to the dealer to have the vehicle’s cruise control cable inspected, and if necessary, replaced. Ford has had 12 reports of the throttle sticking open following wide-open throttle application.

Also, Ford is notifying 351,102 model year 2000 Focus owners to have their vehicle upgraded to meet the new U.S Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard for interior head impact protection, which is applicable to vehicles in the U.S. market.

Dealers will install new A-pillar trim panels (interior trim pieces beside the windshield) with improved energy absorbing material on the back side of the panel.

The replacement panels will bring all North American produced Focus models into compliance with the new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201 upper interior component requirements that deal with how the interior components absorb energy in a laboratory test.

There have been no reports of wrecks due to any of these conditions, according to Ford. Owners of vehicles will be notified by mail to arrange with their dealer to have the repairs completed at no charge.

For more information, contact www.ford.com.