Ford Motor Co. announced a recall of over 120,000 of its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles. The affected vehicles were manufactured at Ford's stamping and assembly plant in Mexico. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated multiple stud fractures could occur at the wheel location while driving and the operator may experience vehicle vibration and/or wheel separation, both of which could increase the risk of a crash. Ford reported that steel wheel mounting pads may have been faulty and the wheel mounting face on rear brake discs could not have been attached properly. Ford has reported 6 cases so far where wheel seperation has occured.
Your Fusion or Milan may be affected by this recall if:
- It was equipped with 17 inch wheels (this recall does not cover the models with alloy wheels), and
- It was built April 1 through April 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through November 13, 2010 (You can verify when your car was built by checking the label affixed to its driver-side door jamb).
If you have one of these vehicles you are urged to call Ford’s customer relations center at 866-436-7332, please reference Recall No. 11S23. You may also call NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.
The recall will officially begin on or about January 24, 2012.
