NEWS:   Ford to recall Fusion, Milan sedans to fix wheels

YAHOO NEWS -- December 10,  2011 – Ford is recalling more than 128,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years because the wheels can fall off the cars.

The recall affects only cars with 17-inch steel wheels built from April 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009, and from Dec. 1, 2009 through Nov. 13, 2010.

Federal regulators say that bolts holding the wheels on can fracture, causing a vibration. If the vibration is ignored, the wheels can separate from the car.

Ford says it's not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will replace the lug nuts on all four wheels and check the rear disc brake surface. The recall is expected to begin around Jan. 24.

MORE RECALL INFO: 

• Ford Fusion
• Mercury Milan
• NHTSA Recall Info

DECEMBER 2011 -- Ford is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles equipped with 17 inch steel wheels and built from April 1, 2009, through April 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through November 13, 2010. The wheel studs may fracture, potentially causing a wheel to separate. While driving, multiple stud fractures could occur at the wheel location, and the operator may experience vehicle vibration and/or wheel separation, increasing the risk of a crash. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear brake disc surface for flatness and replace the discs as necessary. Additionally, the wheel lug nuts will be replaced on all four wheels. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about January 24, 2012.  11V-574

MAY  2010 -- Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 Fusion, Milan, and Escape vehicles manufactured from February 27, through March 26, 2010. The park rod guide retention pin may not have been properly installed which fails to conform to the requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention". A vehicle parked without an engaged park pawl and without an applied parking brake may have unintended movement which may cause a crash. Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on May 28, 2010.  Ford's recall campaign number is 10C12. 10V-222

NEWS:  U.S. probes Ford Fusion on reports of trapped pedals

YAHOO NEWS  – June 1, 2010 – U.S. safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into the possibility that accelerator pedals could be entrapped by floormats in Ford Motor Co (F.N) 2010 Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had verified three complaints of accelerator pedals being trapped by unsecured "all-weather" floormats in the current production model year of the Fusion.

The NHTSA warned owners not to place unsecured floormats on top of the standard, carpeted floormat on the driver's side. It opened an investigation on Friday that covers an estimated 249,301 Fusion and Milan sedans.

Ford spokesman ... said instructions imprinted on the automaker's all-weather floormats warn owners not to place them on top of existing floormats, as does the packaging.

"We do not recommend stacking floormats in any vehicle,"... "We will cooperate fully with NHTSA as we always do."

The NHTSA said it had received no complaints involving crashes, injuries or fatalities in the Ford vehicles. Any optional all-weather floormats should be installed only after removing the standard floormats, the agency said.

Edmunds.com,, director of vehicle testing at Edmunds.com, described in mid-April an incident of unintended acceleration in a 2010 Fusion hybrid caused when the accelerator pedal became entrapped by a stacked floormat.

Edmunds said the accelerator became stuck for three or four seconds after he passed slower traffic on his commute to work before returning to normal. A second experimental acceleration had a similar result, he said in a web posting.  He reported the incident to the NHTSA.

MORE RECALL INFO:   Ford Fusion   Mercury Milan