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Recalls up sharply at Ford, Toyota
WASHINGTON - The number of cars and trucks recalled to fix safety problems
fell dramatically last year - but not at Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor
Corp. Both recalled about 1 million more vehicles in 2005 than they did in
2004.
In Toyota's case, the increase in recalled vehicles threatens its
longstanding reputation for building high-quality vehicles.
Ford sought to repair an industry-leading 6 million vehicles, according to
federal data analyzed by the Detroit Free Press. Two-thirds of its recalls
stemmed from one problem: faulty wiring in a speed control system on four
vehicle models that was blamed for nearly 1,200 vehicle fires.
Toyota's recalled vehicles nearly doubled to 2.2 million, and its largest
recall this year involved 978,000 trucks with a faulty steering control rod.
Ford's recalls helped boost warranty costs by $500 million in the first nine
months of 2005, adding pressure to Ford's cost-cutting plan due Jan. 23 that
likely will include plant closures and job cuts.
Although General Motors Corp. still had the second most vehicles recalled in
2005, it had to fix only about half as many cars and trucks as it did in
2004, when it recalled 11 million vehicles.
That drop was a reason automakers recalled 17 million U.S. cars and trucks
in 2005, down from last year's record high of about 30 million.
Toyota's rising recall statistics mirror in part its rise in U.S. sales,
which were up 10 percent through November, but some experts have wondered
whether Toyota's rapid growth could lead to quality problems.
The 2005 figures do not include Toyota's recall of 75,000 hybrid Prius
sedans in October to fix a problem with stalling engines. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration tracks only those recalls it deems
directly related to safety, and since Prius drivers still could rely on
electric power if the gasoline engines stalled, the recall was not
classified as a safety improvement.
Recalls have been rising in recent years, even as overall vehicle quality
has risen.
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