Ford recalls all nat-atmo Territory SUVs

Ford just can't seem to catch a break - unless you're talking about its brake hoses...

Ford Australia has found a problem with the front brake hoses on the Aussie-built Ford Territory. Apparently, it occurs in less than two percent of vehicles sold since February 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008, but the automaker has taken the safe (and expensive) step to call the cars back in to have it replaced.

The issue was discovered after Ford investigated recent complaints and observations regarding front brake fluid leakage.

According to Ford, cars that are driven hard and constantly turned at full lock could wear down the front brake hose and develop a leak, reducing the effectiveness of the front brakes. Ford was swift to note that the rear brakes could bring the vehicle to a full halt as per ADR requirements, and there is an in-dash driver warning light which is triggered when the front brakes decline.

The Territory Turbo, Territory Ghia Turbo and the FPV F6X are not included in the voluntary recall as their front brake systems are different, and buyers of the facelifted MkII generation, which debuted at Melbourne this year, are also in the clear.

Ford sold 85,573 Territory models (including Turbo) up to December 2008.

Customers affected by the recall should contact their nearest Ford Dealer to have the front brake hoses replaced free of charge.

Ford Australia could not be reached for further comment at the time.