What do the Ford F-150 and Lincoln MKX have in common? Not much, other than the fact that they’re both being recalled.
The first recall Ford announced today covers the brake master cylinders of 270,873 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6-powered 2013-2014 F-150s built at the Dearborn Truck Plant between August 1, 2013 and August 22, 2014, and the Kansas City Assembly Plant between August 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014. More than 225,000 of the trucks are in the US; most of the rest of them are in Canada and Mexico.
Ford says, “In some vehicles, it is possible brake effectiveness could be reduced due to brake fluid leaking from the brake master cylinder into the brake booster, increasing the risk of a crash.” Only the front brakes are affected by this issue.
If your truck is part of this recall, your dealer will replace its brake master cylinder for free. It’ll also install a new brake booster if your current master cylinder is leaking.
Ford’s second recall applies to only five 2016 Lincoln MKXs in the US built at the Oakville Assembly plant between September 24 and 25, 2015. Currently, the seatback trim cover for the left-side second-row seat covers the center tether anchor. To remedy this, dealers will replace the seatback trim cover and install a complimentary tether cover bezel.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
