U.S. car maker Ford will be recalling 16,444 units of its compact SUV Ecosport in India to fix faulty rear twist beam bolt, a part in vehicles suspension.
“Ford India is proactively contacting select customers to voluntarily inspect their EcoSport vehicles, made at the company’s Chennai plant between November 2013 and April 2014, for a potential concern related to Rear Twist Beam bolt," said a statement.
"In some of the affected vehicles, there is a possibility that the Rear Twist Beam (RTB) bolt may not be tightened to specification, which may cause the pivot bolt to break. This condition can potentially compromise vehicle handling and thereby increase the risk of an accident. This is a proactive voluntary action and no accidents related to the concern have been reported," it added.
Ford is in the process of contacting 16,444 EcoSport customers for getting their vehicles inspected at a local Ford dealer. If needed, Ford dealership will carry out necessary rework free of cost.
Two years ago, the company recalled 1.66 lakh units of small car Figo and sedan Fiesta Classic, produced out of its Chennai factory, to fix problems relating to steering and rear suspension in the vehicles.
PTI adds:
Automobile manufacturers have been recalling vehicles on safety issues since industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) initiated a voluntary policy in July 2012.
With Ford’s latest recall, over 13.25 lakh vehicles have been recalled by various manufacturers in India so far.
In September, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) had recalled around 2.24 lakh units of its premium sports utility vehicles — CR-V, sedans Civic, City and hatchback Jazz, manufactured between 2003 and 2012 — to replace faulty airbag inflators in the largest such exercise in the country.