Ford to recall 485,000 Escape SUVs worldwide

 Ford will recall 485,000 of its Escape SUVs worldwide over a cable fault, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

It covers Ford Escape SUVs from the 2001-2004 model years in order to remedy sticking gas pedals that can cause crashes.

The worldwide recall comes just over a week after US safety regulators began investigating the models after receiving 68 complaints about the gas pedal problem.

The models are powered by 3-litre V-6 engines with cruise control.
The complaints made to US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) include 13 crashes, nine injuries and one death.

It's the third recall in just two weeks for the Escape, which was the top-selling SUV in the US last month.

A week ago Ford recalled 11,500 of the all-new 2013 models with 1.6-liter engines because the fuel lines can crack and leak gasoline, causing fires.
A few days before that, it recalled 10,000 Escapes, 2013 models, to fix carpet padding that could interfere with braking.

On the older Escapes, which are completely different from the 2013 models, the cruise control cables can snag on the plastic cover atop the engine and cause the gas pedals to stick, the newspaper added.