Ford recalls 421,000 Escapes.
ABC World News (7/26, story 7, 0:25, Elliot, 8.2M) reported "nearly half a million SUVs, Ford Escapes and Mavericks being recalled after our Phoenix affiliate aired a series of investigations. The cars have what's called a sticky pedal. A defect in the cruise control cable that can cause the cars to speed out of control."
The CBS Evening News (7/26, story 9, 0:20, Pelley, 6.1M) reported, "Thirteen crashes and one death have been linked to this defect." The Los Angeles Times (7/27, Hirsch, Times, 629K) notes that while the recall came "just a week after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an inquiry into the problem, noting 68 complaints, including 13 accidents, nine injuries and one fatality," a consumer watchdog group, the Center for Auto Safety, "said the automaker has not acted quickly enough and should be fined."
Bloomberg News (7/27, Naughton, Plungis, 1M) says "almost 424,000 US vehicles with three-liter, six-cylinder engines will be covered under the recall, according to documents Ford provided to NHTSA.." NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said that an "investigation remains open, pending the agency's review of the documents provided by Ford in its recall action." She said, "NHTSA will continue to monitor any future issues...to ensure there are no additional safety risks that warrant further action."
Also reporting this are USA Today (7/27, Woodyard), the AP (7/27), the New York Times (7/27, Jensen) "Wheels" blog, and Reuters (7/27).
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