Ford recalls vans, SUVs

Ford Motor Co. has announced it will recall over 180,000 vehicles in two separate moves to fix faulty fuel hoses on E-Series vans and some SUVs, as well as door handles on certain SUVs.

The other recall affects 57,199 2006-2007 Ford E-150, E-250 and E-350, as well as 2007 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators equipped with 5.4L engines. According to the NHTSA report, “The fuel rail cross-over hose may contain weak areas. As a result, the hose may crack, which could cause a fuel odor and/or fuel leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.”

Dealers will replace the fuel rail assembly, expected to begin in March.

The company has recalled 123,632 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2007-2008 model years. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “The door handle housing embossment retaining the bottom of the interior door handle spring on all side doors may fracture during normal customer usage. This can result in insufficient spring force to return the handle to the full closed position…In the event of a side impact crash, the interior door handle may cause the door latch to open increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.”

The report states that dealers will replace the interior handle spring on all side doors, and the recall is expected to begin sometime this month.