(August 1, 2011) WASHINGTON  — Ford is recalling more than 1 million trucks, including the F-150, the top-selling U.S. vehicle, because straps that secure fuel tanks to the vehicles may corrode and cause the tanks to fall. The trucks are older model pickups ranging from 1997 to 2004 models.

The defect has led to three fires and one injury, Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood said in an e-mail. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall today on its Web site.

The recalls follow an investigation opened last year by the U.S. auto-safety regulator. They are being made in 21 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia, where de-icing chemicals used on roads in cold weather may cause corrosion of the metal straps.

Ford said the recall covers 1.1 million pickup trucks, including F-150s from model years 1997 to 2004; F-250s from model years 1997 to 1999; and the Lincoln Blackwood from model years 2002 to 2003.

The company said it will notify owners of affected vehicles in mid-September and make repairs at no cost.

Source: Bloomberg News