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| pick-up trucks |
Fords F-series pick-up trucks are the countrys top-selling private vehicle, ahead of small- and mid-size cars, according to a June survey by the Wall Street Journal.
Although Ford previously insisted the condition presented no unreasonable risk to safety, it agreed to recall about 1.1 million pickup trucks because metal straps cradling the fuel tank may rust, allowing the tank to break free and drag on the road.
The automaker is recalling fewer than half of the vehicles originally investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That investigation, begun late last year, ultimately was expanded to cover 2.7 million pickups nationwide, but Ford said it was recalling only vehicles sold or registered in states where road salt is used heavily.
The vehicles being recalled are the 1997–2003 F-150; 2004 F-150 Heritage; 1997–99 F-250 with a gross vehicle weight under 8,500 pounds; and 2002–3 Lincoln Blackwood.
We also received reports of a couple of vehicle fires, he added. The agency said it learned of 243 cases in which gas tanks broke free and dragged on the ground. In one of those cases, a fire destroyed the vehicle, although there were no injuries, according to Ford. There were nine reports of the dragging tanks causing sparks.
On July 29, Ford sent a letter to the safety agency informing it of its plan for a recall.
