Ford Cars To Be Investigated By Feds For Engine Problems

Some Ford Motors Company (NYSE:F) vehicles will be investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for engine problems.

According to the report from the Los Angeles Times, the NHTSA will investigate approximately 725,000 Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, Mercury Marinier SUVs, and Mercury Milan sedan because of stalling or surging engines. The vehicles to be inspected by the agency belong to the model years 2009 to 2011.

The report cited that certain engine problems identified in the vehicle was called “limp home mode,” wherein the vehicles experiences a sudden drop of 900 rpms to 20 mph. The limp home mode should only be triggered when a serious engine problem happen. It is designed to allow drivers maneuver their vehicles to a safe place to stop.

According to the NHTSA, the vehicles under investigation may also experience power surges as the engine revolutions fluctuates to prevent stalling caused by the limp home mode.

Ford Motors Company (NYSE:F) and the NHTSA received approximately 1,5000 complaints related to the engine problem including three crashes involving one injury.

The car manufacturer said it is cooperating with the investigation of the NHTSA. Ford Motor also said that it fixed the throttle problem of the Ford Escape by changing its manufacturing process. The company received 27,505 warranty claims to repair the throttle bodies of vehicles.

On the other hand, Ford Motor previously announced that its Ford Fiesta received the highest safety rating among the eight popular car models tested by inaguaral ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) frontal collision crash test.

According to the car manufacturer, Ford Fiesta earned a five star rating on the ASEAB safety requirements for adult occupation protection and received a 66% score for child occupation protection. Ford Motor’s evaluation score was 15.73 from the full score of 16.

Neal McCarthy, ASEAN communications director of Ford Motor said, “The Ford Fiesta’s five-star rating in the ASEAN NCAP helps further reinforce our commitment to provide class-leading safety with every Ford vehicle we offer. The Fiesta provides multi-dimension protection for the occupants on board, offered by smartly deployed airbags, body rigidity, and attention to detail that has gone into defining the Fiesta and its safety performance.”

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced the expansion of its production plant in Ohio, last week. The company will be adding 450 jobs and will invest $200 million to renovate its engine plant to produce small, turbo charged engines, which will be used for its top-selling vehicles.

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