By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — October 26, 2018 — A recall notice has been issued to 1.5 million Ford Focus owners in North America, 136,000 of which are Canadian, due to a fuel system malfuction.
Ford issued the statement on Thursday specifiying that the affected vehicles were the 2012 to 2018 Ford Focus 2.0-litre models.
Ford says these vehicles are equipped with a canister purge valve that may become stuck in an open position. If this is the case, an excessive vacuum in the fuel system could cause deformation of the vehicle’s plastic fuel tank. This means that the engine control computer may not be able to detect the problem, which could then increase the risk of a crash.
The recall came after the U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration presented owner complaints to Ford. About 1.3 million of the recalled vehicles are in the U.S.
Dealers will reprogram the computer with new software that will detect a stuck valve, which the company says will take care of the problem in most cases. They’ll also inspect the valve, a carbon canister and gas tank, and replace them if needed.
Ford said owners should keep the gas tank at least half full until repairs are made.
The company said it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.
The recall is expected to begin on Dec. 10.
