MM2004
09-28-2005, 09:16 AM
Ford Motor Co. faces a California lawyer's petition to U.S. safety regulators seeking the recall of about 17 million vehicles, including F-Series pickup trucks, because of a spark plug flaw.
The complaint from Donald Ricketts of Santa Clarita, Calif., would lead to the biggest-ever U.S. recall if one was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which disclosed the petition on its Web site Tuesday. SUVs, pickups, Crown Victorias and Mustangs sold in the 1997-2004 model years had spark plugs that can come loose and fly through the hood, Ricketts claimed.
The petition was filed less than three weeks after Ford recalled 3.8 million vehicles, a year's worth of sales, to fix a cruise-control switch that can overheat and cause fires. That recall, the fifth-largest ever in the United States, included the same vehicles and model years as Ricketts' petition.
"We haven't seen the petition and therefore we can't comment on the contents until we have a chance to review it," Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said. The automaker will cooperate with the agency as it reviews the complaint, she said.
The complaint from Donald Ricketts of Santa Clarita, Calif., would lead to the biggest-ever U.S. recall if one was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which disclosed the petition on its Web site Tuesday. SUVs, pickups, Crown Victorias and Mustangs sold in the 1997-2004 model years had spark plugs that can come loose and fly through the hood, Ricketts claimed.
The petition was filed less than three weeks after Ford recalled 3.8 million vehicles, a year's worth of sales, to fix a cruise-control switch that can overheat and cause fires. That recall, the fifth-largest ever in the United States, included the same vehicles and model years as Ricketts' petition.
"We haven't seen the petition and therefore we can't comment on the contents until we have a chance to review it," Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said. The automaker will cooperate with the agency as it reviews the complaint, she said.