http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/11/28/recalls/wires/q_ford_wg/index.htm
Fifth recall on Escape SUV
For Ford, yet another recall on the
Escape for safety-related problems
November 28, 2000: 1:57 p.m. ET
DETROIT (AP) - For the fifth time in a little over a
year, Ford Motor Co. told its
dealers either to prohibit sales or test-drives of its
new Escape sport utility
vehicles while they're checked for safety-related
problems.
The latest notice to dealers was sent Nov. 18,
affecting 51,022 Escapes and
about 24,000 Mazda Tributes, which share basic parts
with the Escape and are
built in the same plant in Claycomo, Mo. Of those,
27,516 Escapes and about
12,500 Tributes have already been sold.
Ford spokesman Mike Vaughn
said
dealers were told to check
for damaged
windshield wiper link ball
sockets and
replace them if necessary. If
the sockets
were improperly built, the
wipers could
stop working. Parts to fix
the problem "are
in the pipeline" to dealers,
Vaughn said.
Previous warnings to dealers on the Escape and Tribute,
both of which only
went on the market in August, have included warnings
about the steering wheel
coming off, leaky fuel lines, incorrect wheel hubs, and
a problem with the cruise
control that could cause the throttle to stick.
Although sales of the Escape began in August, some
dealers had small
numbers of the vehicle in their lots since October 1999
which were used for
test-drives.
Vaughn said this was the first Escape notice that had
involved a large number
of vehicles already sold to consumers. He said the
windshield wiper problem
was found through warranty claims, and that Ford
expects about 6 percent of
Escapes to be affected.
"It is a brand new vehicle, and sometimes in the launch
minor product problems
erupt," he said. "Our goal is to correct them quickly."
One industry expert said Ford doesn't appear to have
been penalized by
customers for the recalls so far -- but could be if
more come soon.
Ford (F: Research, Estimates) has seen its share of
high-profile recalls this
year, with the recall of 6.5 million Firestone tires on
Ford trucks leading the list.
The company also announced in April that it would pay
for failing head gaskets
on about one million 3.8-liter V6 engines built in the
early to mid-1990s.
Ford executives have said recalls are acceptable to the
company as a way of
improving relations with customers, a prime directive
of Ford CEO Jac Nasser.
"Our philosophy is to constantly monitor the
performance of our vehicles, and
when we see an issue we move quickly," Vaughn said.
Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific, said the notices
cut both ways with
customers. While the recalls could hurt Ford's image
with potential buyers,
they could also improve relations with Escape owners in
the first 90 days, when
automakers survey customer satisfaction.
"If you have a problem and its not addressed, you're
rated poorly," Hall said. "If
you have a problem and it is addressed, they remember
it well."
But there are limits, he said. "If they have a couple
of more over the next couple
of months, that could be a problem," Hall said.
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