Last week, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Ford is recalling over 128,000 Ford Fusions and its sister car, the Mercury Milan, because of a problem with the wheel studs. The recall only effects Fusions and Milans with steel wheels, not alloy ones. Wheel studs are threaded bolts by which a vehicle’s wheels are attached. They run through the brake hub, and if enough of them break, the wheel could literally fall off of the car. Continue reading for more details and the NHTSA’s press release.
While the cause of the defect is not known, it’s likely that it was either a problem with manufacture or lug nut tightening, but the result is the same: wheel vibration and/or separation from the vehicle, which can lead to a loss of control and possibly a crash. The recall includes an inspection of the brake hub, as well as the replacement of all wheel studs and lug nuts on the recalled sedans.
The recalled vehicles include Fusions and Milans built in April of 2009, as well as between December 1st, 2009 and November 13th of 2010. The latter grouping is almost, if not all of the 2011 model year, during which the Mercury brand was disbanded. While the recall sounds like a lot of cars, it’s somewhere closer to 1/6th of total production of Fusions and Milans.
Ford’s recall is expected to begin in late January, and owners of affected vehicles will be notified soon.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 FORD FUSION AND MERCURY MILAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 17 INCH STEEL WHEELS AND BUILT FROM APRIL 1, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 30, 2009, AND FROM DECEMBER 1, 2009, THROUGH NOVEMBER 13, 2010. THE WHEEL STUDS MAY FRACTURE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A WHEEL TO SEPARATE.by John Suit
Source: NHTSA