During the past couple of weeks, we've been informed about several recalls involving salads and chickens following a salmonella outbreak, but after one major car company's recent announcement, your groceries aren't the only thing you should worry about.
On October 25, Ford announced they are recalling nearly 1.5 million Focus compact cars in the United States that are equipped with 2.0-liter GDI and 2.0-liter GTDI engines.
The motor company said 1,463,389 vehicles in North America will be impacted by this recall, with 1,282,596 in the United States and federalized territories, 136,272 in Canada and 44,521 in Mexico.
The Ford reference number for this recall is listed as 18S32.
The Problem
The select 2012-18 Ford Focus cars have been found to have a malfunctioning canister purge valve, that can cause its engines to stall without warning.
According to Ford's press release, which is based in Dearborn, Michigan, these vehicles' valves can stick open, inducing an excessive vacuum.
The engine control computer might not be able to detect the problem, and as a result, the increased vacuum could cause the car's plastic fuel tank to become deformed.
This will lead to customers to see a "malfunction indicator light or a fuel gauge with fluctuating or inaccurate fuel levels."
Furthermore, the car giant said this can lead to either the Ford Focuses to stall or fail to restart, which can increase the chances of becoming involved in a crash.
The Fix
The announcement came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration presented owner complaints to Ford, and the car company said those affected by the recall with be notified directly.
Starting on December 10, Ford dealers will repair the impacted Ford Focuses for free, where technicians will reprogram the car's powertrain module with new software and replace various parts, including the malfunctioning canister valve.
Although the company said it's unaware of any accidents or injuries involving the malfunction, it's urging car owners to "maintain at least a half tank of fuel until the recall is completed."
