Ford is recalling up to 1.22 million older pickup trucks due to a problem which could cause fuel leaks and a risk of fire, the company and US car-safety regulators announced on Monday.
“Prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank to the vehicle,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recall notice.
That could lead to the tank breaking off and hitting the ground, possibly sparking a fire, the NHTSA said.
As many as 1.1 million vehicles in the United States were affected by the recall, including F-150 and F-250 pickup trucks made from 1997 to 2004 and Lincoln Blackwood luxury pickups made from 2002 to 2003, it said.
An additional 120,000 trucks in Canada would be affected by the recall, Ford said. The overwhelming majority of trucks affected by the recall were in the United States and Canada, a Ford spokesman said.
US owners of the affected trucks were eligible to receive free repairs starting on September 12, the NHTSA said.
