Ford Recalls 1.1M Pickup Trucks

Ford (NYSE:F) on Monday said it was recalling 1.1 million Ford F-150 and Lincoln Blackwood pickup trucks for possible corrosion and breaking of straps that hold fuel tanks.

The recall deals with certain F-150 models from 1997 through 2003, F-150 Heritage from 2004, F-250 models from 1997 through 1999 and Lincoln Blackwater vehicles made from June 1995 to August 2004.

The vehicles were originally sold in 22 states where they faced prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals that may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank traps. Affected areas include many states in the North East as well as Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and District of Columbia.

As a result of the corrosion, the company warned in a report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site that one or both straps may fail, allowing the fuel lines to separate from the tank, or in some cases, causing the tank to make contact with the ground, either of which could result in a fuel leaks and cause a subsequent fire hazard.

Ford said it will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the tank straps replaced with others that have increased corrosion protection.