Nearly 1.7 million Ford, Lincoln vehicles under scanner for possible brake issue

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating nearly 1.7 million Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans for a potential issue with brakes. The front brakes lines on these sedans are being checked for rupturing and leaking that can cause the braking system to fail. The investigation follows 50 complaints so far and both Ford and NHTSA are working together to find a fix for the problem.

The issue has been reported in brake lines of 2013 to 2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans and leaking of brake fluid means that the braking system cannot properly operate leading to a host of safety concerns. Once the investigation is over, Ford might issue a voluntary recall for the affected vehicles and offer a free of cost solution to the owners.

The fix to the problem, Ford could replace the front brake lines with a braking system bleed to ensure there are no air bubbles in the braking system. If braking fluid has air bubbles, the braking system does not operate correctly and may lead to inconsistent stopping power. This solution should be the answer to any issues found during NHTSA's investigation.

The 2013 to 2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans are the automaker's last sedans before the brand moved to making only SUV and truck models for their model lineup.

As per the NHTSA report, there has also been one report of a crash or a fire in one of the affected Ford sedans. However, fortunately, no fatalities have been reported.

In a separate development, Kia Corp's Russian subsidiary recently launched a voluntary recall of more than one lakh units due to a possible airbag malfunction, a government regulator announced. The recall involves Kia Rio models that were assembled between 2013 and 2018 at the Hyundai Motor Group factory in the Russian city of St Petersburg, the country's federal agency for technical regulation and metrology said.