Ford Motor Co. has been hit with another high-profile quality control problem, this time involving an engine defect in some truck models, including its best-selling F-Series pickup.
The world's second-largest automaker said on Monday the problem involved oil leaks from some 5.4-liter V8 truck engines, caused by a leaky head gasket.
"There's an oil seepage issue," company spokesman Todd Nissen told Reuters, saying it primarily involved F-Series trucks from the 1999 model year.
Other models affected by the problem include some Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs and the Econoline van.
The Ford spokesman declined to say how many trucks were affected or how much it would cost to fix the problem.
A report in the industry trade magazine Automotive News said Ford was spending up to $4,500 per vehicle to replace complete engine assemblies in some cases.
The F-Series pickup, a perennial money maker for Ford, has long been celebrated by the automaker as the world's best-selling vehicle.
Vehicle recalls and defects have weighed on Ford's profits and productivity over the past year, however. Ford executives said during last week's New York Auto Show previews that they were making great strides in improving quality.
In March, Ford was forced to temporarily halt shipments of many of its best-selling SUVs and trucks due to a defective part in their four-wheel-drive systems.
In February, the Chevrolet brand of cars and trucks from cross-town rival General Motors Corp., the world's No. 1 automaker, outsold the Blue Oval nameplate at Ford for the first time since July 1991.
The world's second-largest automaker said on Monday the problem involved oil leaks from some 5.4-liter V8 truck engines, caused by a leaky head gasket.
"There's an oil seepage issue," company spokesman Todd Nissen told Reuters, saying it primarily involved F-Series trucks from the 1999 model year.
Other models affected by the problem include some Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs and the Econoline van.
The Ford spokesman declined to say how many trucks were affected or how much it would cost to fix the problem.
A report in the industry trade magazine Automotive News said Ford was spending up to $4,500 per vehicle to replace complete engine assemblies in some cases.
The F-Series pickup, a perennial money maker for Ford, has long been celebrated by the automaker as the world's best-selling vehicle.
Vehicle recalls and defects have weighed on Ford's profits and productivity over the past year, however. Ford executives said during last week's New York Auto Show previews that they were making great strides in improving quality.
In March, Ford was forced to temporarily halt shipments of many of its best-selling SUVs and trucks due to a defective part in their four-wheel-drive systems.
In February, the Chevrolet brand of cars and trucks from cross-town rival General Motors Corp., the world's No. 1 automaker, outsold the Blue Oval nameplate at Ford for the first time since July 1991.