Ford recalls Fusions to fix cracked fuel tanks

UPDATE (Nov 26): To add a link to Transport Canada’s official recall.

Ford is recalling some Fusion sedans to address an emissions control system flaw that could crack the gas tank and cause fuel leaks.

According to the automaker, the problem lies with a canister that collects gasoline vapour evaporating from the fuel in the tank: a purge valve that eventually allows those vapours to be pulled into the engine and burned may be defective and cause frequent pressure changes in the gas tank, and that cycle could cause a crack to form in the top of the tank.

Ford says it will update powertrain control software in affected cars, and inspect the purge valve and fuel tank, and make any necessary repairs at no charge to the customer. The Canadian cars affected are 33,605 Fusions sedans sold as 2010 and 2011 models, but the recall covers more than 450,000 cars sold across North America, including some Mercury Milan models, a variant of the car that wasn’t sold in Canada. Note that all of the information about this recall has come from Ford; Transport Canada has yet to issue its own recall notice.

This is the second fuel tank-related recall Ford has issued this month: earlier in November, we learned that corrosion could cause fuel leaks in the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.