Ford Recalls 655,000 Trucks With Faulty Brake Hose

Dearborn, MI (AHN) - Ford Motor Co., the second largest American carmaker, announced a worldwide recall on Wednesday of some 655,000 F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks in need of brake hose replacement.

In a letter posted at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, Ford said the voluntary recall covers 2005 and 2006 truck models with 5.4-liter, 3-valve engines. Spokesman Wes Sherwood told Bloomberg News that the recall includes 605,684 vehicles in the U.S. while the rest are mostly in Canada.

The safety agency explained that a defect in the trucks' rubber vacuum hose may cause it to swell and detach from a fitting -- thereby reducing brake power. In its letter, Ford admitted to 11 reported accidents in the U.S. related to the defect. There were no reported injuries, though.

Bloomberg said the F-150 model accounts for 60 percent of sales of the F-Series pickups - the best-selling line of vehicles in the country. In 2006, 796,039 F-150s and 12,753 Mark LTs were sold by the company.

Ford added that dealers will replace the defective brake hose for free. Owners will be notified in late June, and the recall is expected to begin in July.