Florida motorists may be affected by pair of late-November recalls that Ford issued for its Escape line of vehicles. The firm said that it needed to repair 140,000 crossover vehicles in the U.S. alone because 12 of them had experienced fires. Although the company denied that any of these incidents resulted in personal injuries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted the potential for harm.
The NHTSA said that the Escape engines could expand and leak oil when they became hot; this fluid might then catch fire by coming into contact with other heated surfaces. The manufacturer admitted that the issues also affected 21,000 foreign vehicles, and at the time of reporting, it remained unknown whether other temperature factors, like local weather conditions or engine run times, might also influence the prevalence of hazardous defects.
Ford’s recall notices also covered a number of Escapes that should have already been fixed for unrelated problems. Sources said that these vehicles were improperly repaired after a previous recall action and that they could still leak fuel. Ford did not say whether such incidents might result in injuries or the same manner of fires that the oil leaks could cause, and it remained unclear why almost 10,000 vehicles were not repaired correctly after their initial recall.
Defective parts can cause vehicle accidents that result in catastrophic bodily harm. In addition to burns and other direct traumas, some victims sustain impact injuries that impede their abilities to hold down jobs or conduct daily business. Attorneys may be able to help these individuals pursue compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation or disability aids by guiding them through litigation and representing them in court.
Source: NY Times, “Ford Discloses Two New Recalls for the 2013 Escape“, Christopher Jensen, November 26, 2013