News sources report that Ford is recalling over a million pickup trucks due to a risk of the fuel tank falling off and posing a fire hazard.
The recall, which was announced Monday, affects 1.1 million pickups including F-150, F-250, and Lincoln Blackwood trucks. The recalled trucks were sold in cold-weather states where road salt can lead to the corrosion of the metal straps that hold the fuel tank in place. If the straps break, the fuel tank can strike the ground, break and catch fire.
A Ford spokesman said that reports have been received of eight fires. Three of those fires spread to the rest of the vehicle. One person was injured in a fire and suffered first- and second-degree burns.
The recall affects certain F-150 trucks from model years 1997 through 2004, some F-250 pickups from model years 1997 through 1999, and model years 2002 and 2003 of the Lincoln Blackwood pickup truck. Ford would not divulge the cost of the recall.
Ford said that the company will notify truck owners in September to bring their vehicles to a dealer where the defective straps will be replaced with ones that are coated to resist corrosion. The company said that until then, parts to fix the issue will not be readily available.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I encourage owners of the affected trucks to take their vehicles to dealers once the parts to repair the problem become available.