Ford this week launched a recall campaign affecting 78,264 of its Ranger pickup truck, including 5,564 in Canada. The trucks are being called in for service to fix an issue with the rear lights.
Badly installed or misaligned terminals can cause the rear lights to function only intermittently or not at all. Obviously, if that happens not just the position lights but the brake lights and turn signals will not be visible to other drivers, reducing the vehicle’s visibility and increasing the risk of accident.
Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries arising from the problem.
Under the recall, dealership service centres will inspect the vehicles and adjust the terminal to ensure a proper connection and eliminate the risk of malfunctioning lights.
New model syndrome
The Ford Ranger has already been subject to four other recalls this year, according to the NHTSA (National Higway Traffic Safety Administration). The issues have included a problem with the transmission taking itself out of the Park position, a misassembled passenger-side seatbelt and a potential short circuit in the ventilation system’s motor.