Philippine Ford Territory units not affected by UAE steering bracket recall

Sometimes, important stories can be found in something as simple as a Facebook post.

A post in the Facebook group of the Ford Territory Club Philippines showed a recall notice for 2023 Ford Territory units sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

We did a little digging and found that the UAE Ministry of Economy issued the recall for 53 Territory units sold there because the steering column bracket could detach from the car’s cross beam due to an incorrectly welded joint.

“When a steering column bracket begins to come loose, the customer may hear noise from the steering column,” the Ministry said.

“It is possible that the steering column bracket may detach from the vehicle cross-car beam, the customer will be unable to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of crash or injury,” it added.

The Ministry has ordered the inspection and fixing of the welds of the affected units, free of charge.

Ford Asia Pacific Distributor Markets and the Philippines communications director EJ Francisco told AutoFun Philippines that none of the 2023 Territory units sold in the Philippines are affected by this issue.

Two months on sale

The all-new Territory was launched on April 2023, still produced at Ford's manufacturing plant in China.

Aside from featuring an all-new platform and styling, the crossover comes with upgraded safety technology and a completely revamped cabin.

Power is still provided by a turbocharged 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine, which has been uprated to 160 PS and 248 Nm of torque. This is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which replaces the old model’s continuously variable transmission.

The Territory is important for Ford Philippines, competing in the hotly contested compact crossover segment. The previous-generation Territory sold over 15,000 units locally over one and a half years.

Non-starter

The previous-generation Territory was also the subject of a recall on February 2021 that included Philippine-market models.

This was in relation to the car’s Electric Battery Sensor bracket, which had a tendency to break. This resulted in the vehicle failing to start.

Ford Philippines also has an ongoing recall for vehicles with faulty Takata airbags. It covers the 2006 to 2014 Ford Everest, 2004 to 2011 Ford Ranger, and 2005 to 2014 Ford Mustang.

The defect, which affects millions of cars worldwide, can cause the airbags to deploy even without a crash, leading to serious injury or death to front-seat occupants.

The online portal to check if the Takata recall covers your vehicle can be accessed here.

Do you think Ford needs to ramp up its quality-control measures?

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