Ford recalling 129,000 Fusions and Mercury Milans due to wheel stud defect

If you’ve been driving around in a Ford Fusion or a Mercury Milan and have noticed something not quite right with your wheels, you may want to pay attention to this.

Ford is recalling upwards of 129,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans due to a defect involving the wheel studs on models with 17-inch steel wheels that could cause the studs to fracture and cause wheel vibrations which could result in wheel separation.

“The problems may be caused by steel wheel mounting pads or rear brake discs that have been incorrectly built and cannot properly support the wheel,” Ford said in a statement.

Ford will contact affected owners and is expected to begin the recall on January 24, 2012. If you own one of the two models with wheels made between April 1, 2009 to April 30, 2009 and between December 1, 2009 and November 13, 2010, you’ll be able to take your car to a dealer for inspection. If it’s found to be an affected model, the dealer will replace all lug nuts and inspect the real-wheel disc brakes. Cars with alloy wheels are not affected.

Susan Krusel, a spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company, said in a statement that the vehicles are still considered to be safe to drive. The statement reads: “Affected customers can continue to drive their vehicles. We are not aware of any accidents or injuries.”

Source: Bloomberg