US carmaker Ford on Friday recalled 575,000 Windstar minivans in the United States and Canada over fears that the rear axle could be prone to rust, a company spokesman confirmed.
The safety recall applies to minivans from the model years 1998 to 2003. But only owners in northern US states and Canada were told to bring their vehicles in for inspection. The rusting is apparently exacerbated by salt used on icy roads during freezing weather.
Ford had until now managed to escape the wave of recalls that have recently plagued General Motors, Chrysler and especially Japanese carmaker Toyota.