Ford Motor Co. has issued recalls covering over 692,000 vehicles to fix two safety issues.
The recall covers 2013 and 2014 models of the automaker's Escape small SUVs and C-Max gas-electric hybrids in North America, according to USA Today.
The first recall applies to both the Escape and C-Max vehicles, and aims to fix a software glitch that can stop the side curtain air bags from inflating in certain rollover crashes. Ford said there have been no reports of crashes or injuries. The air bag control computer will be reprogrammed by dealers for free.
The second recall only covers Escapes to fix a problem with exterior door handles, which can make the door difficult to close. This could let doors open while the vehicle is moving, USA Today reported.
No crashes or injuries involving this issue have been reported. The handles will be inspected and dealers will reposition them if necessary.
An increase in recalls in the auto industry has occurred recently, due to companies recalling vehicles before accidents or incidents and repairing models, The Wall Street Journal reported. Lawsuits, fines and criminal investigations have taken place against companies like Ford and Toyota Motor Corp. because of delays in reporting issues with vehicles. Ford was fined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2013 for not reporting a problem with unintended acceleration on time.
692,500 vehicles were affected by the first recall, and were built from Oct. 5, 2011 through February 14, 2014. 692,700 vehicles were affected by the second recall, and were built from Oct. 5, 2011 through April 10, 2014.
C-Max models cover close to 65,000 of the recall vehicles, while Escape model cover the rest. About 591,000 C-Maxs are in the U.S., with 3,500 in U.S. territories. Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said in an email that 19,500 were in Mexico and almost 78,000 were in Canada. Close to 583,000 Escapes are in the U.S. and its territories, with another 20,000 in Mexico and 89,500 in Canada, USA Today reported.
Ford said the issues could affect both vehicles in other markets.
