Ford doesn't 'escape' recalls

Ford has issued global recalls for its 2013 Escape crossover.

The action comes after reports of a further 13 Escape fires, triggering the car giant to widen the scope.

The total number of recalls of the model is seven over a two-year period; five of these involving fire risks on models with the company's 1.6-litre engine. Another recall of the ill-fated model was due to incorrect installation of fuel lines, which affected nearly 12,000 vehicles.

The latest global recall affects 161,000 of the so-called 'crossover' vehicles - 140,000 of them in the US - and relate to the risk of the engine cylinder head overheating which, in turn, could cause cracking and oil leaks leading to an under-bonnet fire. To date, the reported fires have not resulted in injuries.

The company has stated its intention to modifiy the engine shielding, cooling and control systems and inspect and repair the fuel lines at the same time, where vehicles are subject to both recalls.

Meanwhile, Ford is also recalling more than 7,000 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid cars to reprogram the powertrain control module.  A sensor manufacturing error could cause the module to incorrectly identify the car as being in neutral and allow the transmission to shift out of park without the brake pedal applied.