Ford Recall: 2007-08 Edge, Lincoln MKX Crossovers Could Leak Fuel; One Fire Possibly Linked, No Injuries

Ford Motor Co. is issuing a voluntary recall of 204,448 Ford Edge crossovers and Lincoln MKX luxury crossovers from the 2007-08 model years for possible fuel leaks that could pose a fire risk. The Dearborn, Michigan, car company said Wednesday that it’s aware of one fire “that may be related to this condition.” No injuries have been linked to the problem, it added.

In the worst-ever year for vehicle recalls in the United States, automakers are trying to get ahead of government regulators by announcing safety concerns as part of "voluntary" recalls before the issues make their way to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration.

Ford said some of the vehicles, manufactured at its Oakville, Ontario, factory, may have corrosion under the reinforcement brackets that hold the fuel tank to the chassis. Pronounced corrosion can lead to gasoline leaking out of the tank, posing a fire risk. All but 18,424 of the vehicles are in the U.S and its territories. Owners are urged to take their vehicles to a Ford dealership to be checked.

The company issued the following list of locations where the vehicles were originally sold: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In Canada, the cars were sold in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

The current Ford Edge is the company’s third-best selling utility vehicle with 86,051 unit sales in the U.S. in the first nine months of the year, down 14 percent from the same period last year as the second generation version is due out in the spring. Ford has sold 18,728 Lincoln MKX luxury crossovers this year through September, up 8 percent from last year. The MKX is facing a major redesign for the 2016 model year as Ford tries to reinvigorate its luxury brand to take it global.