Ford Ecosport recalled in India

Ford India have started a recall procedure for the popular Ecosport compact SUV to inspect and sort out an issue that is related to a component in the rear suspension. The component in question is a bolt that is on the rear twist beam assembly of cars made between November 2013 and April 2014 at the Ford plant in Chennai.

Ford says that there could be a possibility that the said bolt may not have been tightened to its specification which could have affected certain vehicles. In the worst case scenario, the bolt could pivot and break off completely which could in turn affect the car’s drivability and cause an accident. That said, Ford claims that no accidents have occurred due to the issue yet.

According to Ford India’s official statement, ‘Ford India is 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 (RTB) bolt...In some of the affected vehicles, there is a possibility that the 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.’

Ford dealers will reach out to customers directly and inspect the vehicles. The replacement if any will be done free of cost by the company. According to Ford, the dealers have already started to contact individuals who have selective models of the Ecosport. Ford had also recalled over 1.66 lakh units of the Figo and Fiesta Classic in September 2013 to rectify a similar rear suspension issue along with a faulty power steering hose. That said, the newly launched facelifted version of the Ford Ecosport has not been affected in any way.