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Ford is recalling 500,000 vehicles over an issue that can cause two different car models to leak brake fluid, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A hose in the cars' rear brake system can rupture and cause a leakage, recall documents state. The vehicles covered by the recall are 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX midsize luxury SUVs and 2015-2018 Edge SUVs.
"If a flexible brake hose develops a leak, the driver may experience an increase in brake pedal travel together with an increase in stopping distance," Ford said in a letter to car dealers. "If the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir becomes low, the red brake fluid warning indicator light will illuminate. An increase in stopping distance increases the risk of a crash."
Ford said it will notify affected vehicle owners of the safety risk in early September. The remedy for the issue is still under development and is expected to be available in April.
The recall comes after Ford this month also more than 355,000 pickup trucks over an instrument panel display failure.
"An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash," NHTSA said in an Aug. 22 report.
The notices add to a string of vehicle recalls Ford has issued this year, which Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra addressed in a July 16 .
"The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers," he wrote. "Ford has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years and significantly increased testing to failure on critical systems in current Ford vehicles such as powertrains, steering and braking. Insights from this testing are being incorporated into current production."
Automotive expert Shaun Carse urged consumers to pay close attention to recall notices, telling CBS MoneyWatch that "a recall notice isn't junk mail — it's basically your car writing you a doctor's note. Bin it, and you're just asking for trouble."
"The real test will be how fast Ford fixes this and how much confidence they can rebuild with drivers. If they play it right, they can turn a PR nightmare into a story of accountability," he added.
