Ford Recall: Steering Problem Results In 370,000 Recall

A steering shaft with a high risk of corrosion caused American automaker Ford to recall nearly 370,000 vehicles. The manufacturer said Sunday that the malfunction could affect the following cars built between 2005 and 2011: Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. The cars that are at risk were sold in the U.S. and Canada. Owners of such vehicles are advised to take the car in for inspection so that the lower intermediate steering shaft be replaced if necessary.

The cars may also need a replacement of the upper intermediate steering shaft and the lower steering column bearing be readjusted. The states affected by the recall of 355,000 cars in the U.S. alone are as follows: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Ford has recalled 465,000 vehicles in June after its SUVs receieved upward of 600 complaints about leaky fuel tanks, which pose as a potential fire hazard. The 2013 models of the Fusion, Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Police Utility, Police Interceptor and the Lincoln MKS, MKT and MKZ were recalled worldwide, with 390,000 taken off the market in the U.S., 23,000 in Canada and 7,600 in Mexico. Another 80,000 Fusions were recalled in December of last year for the same issue.

"We learned from every one of them," Ford CEO Alan Mulally said about the recalls earlier this year. He went on to say that the recalls were just a sign that Ford was committed to quality. The vehicle manufacturer recalled more than 1.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2012.