Ford recalls Falcons with throttle fault

By GREGG WYCHERLEY

Ford New Zealand is recalling 5700 Falcon cars to replace a faulty throttle part that could cause a sudden loss of power.

The recall affects six-cylinder Falcon AU and AUII model cars built between October 2, 1999, and January 31 this year.

Ford New Zealand sources all its Falcon vehicles from Australia, where they are one of the country's top-selling cars.

In Australia, 97,000 cars are being recalled.

Ford spokeswoman Lisa Franklin said the move was a precautionary measure to replace a rubber throttle grommet.

The grommet helps to attach the throttle cable to the engine and may become damaged through consistent hard acceleration.

Ms Franklin said the company was told of the problem yesterday and letters would be sent to all affected customers today.

There had been no reports of accidents associated with the faulty part.

However, the company advised owners of affected cars to drive cautiously until the repairs had been made.