Ford issues two big recalls for fire risk, door latches

The more serious of the two addresses a possible fire risk, and it encompasses approximately 231,000 cars in North America with the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 engines. Included are the 2013-2014 Fusion built at the Hermosillo factory, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2014 Escape, and the 2013-2015 Transit Connect.

The fire risk comes after the car has overheated from a lack of coolant circulating. The overheating could lead to a cracked block and subsequent oil leak that could ignite. Ford says it has received reports of 29 fires in North America so far, but no injuries or deaths have been reported. The company hasn't provided a specific reason for why coolant might not be circulating, but the fix involves the free installation of a coolant level sensor when the part is available, and mail notification to owners to check coolant and refill if necessary. It would seem that the issue involves vehicles losing coolant for a variety of unrelated reasons. We've reached out to Ford for details and will update this post when we know more.

The second of Ford's large recalls involves broken door latches. Roughly 211,000 cars are covered by this recall, including the 2014 Fusion built at the Flat Rock plant, 2013-2014 Fusion built at the Hermosillo facility, 2014 Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ. According to Ford, the "pawl spring tab" in the latch could break, which could lead to the door opening unexpectedly while driving. Ford says it hasn't received any reports of injuries or deaths from the issue, and it will replace all door latches on all affected cars with a stronger version. The repair will, of course, be free to the customer.