The second largest car maker in the US has announced plans to recall around 539,000 vehicles around the world. This recall will take place with two separate actions to fix faults that can lead to fires in certain SUVs, and a loss of power in some minivans according to a report.

Ford is to recall 286,000 Ford Escape SUVs that have the 2001 and 2002 model years. The car manufacturer is also recalling almost 253,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey mini vans that affect the 2004 and 2005 model years.

The majority of the affected models are from the US, and the Escape recall is similar to a fix that was needed on the antilock brake system in 2007. Ford has said that some models may not have been fixed properly or completely inspected.

Some of the vehicles were fitted with a sub-standard brake master cylinder reservoir cap, which could result in the leaking of fluid. This may cause an electrical short in the antilock brake system that may lead to a fire or smoking.

Ford said that there had been no reports of injuries because of the problem, but there had been some vehicle damage. The faulty part was manufactured between October 1999 and July 2002 in a now closed factory. Owners are advised to park their vehicle outside away from buildings until a recall repair is performed.

The company is also recalling the Ford and Mercury minivans because of a defective torque converter. If this fails the vehicle may lose ‘motive’ power, or move the vehicle forward or backwards without any warning.

TorqueNews reports that 425,000 are to be recalled in the United States, with the other 100,000 in Canada. There are just several hundred Windstar recalls in other countries. This is just as serious as the previous recall, as the corrosion could cause parts of the underneath of the van to separate, which could then result in the loss of steering.

According to Reuters, Ford has said that seven accidents have been reported to them, with five of these resulting in slight injuries; All of these were related to the corrosion issue on the Windstar minivan. It is said that 22 states are affected by this recall, and Ford are now working with the NHTSA over the matter.

The recalls are due to begin by the middle of February, and those who have a Windstar built from 1994 to 2003 will be asked to take their minivan to their local Ford dealer to be inspected. If there is found to be any corrosion, then the dealership will then carry out any necessary repairs.

Are you concerned over this second recall of the Ford Windstar Minivan?

What’s next in 2010 for auto recalls? It seems this question was answered today by a Ford recall of 575,000 Windstar vans (463,000 in the U.S. and the rest in Canada). The recalls are for models from 1998 to 2003.

ABC news is reporting that the problem involves a possible fracture of rear axles on Windstar vans, which can be due to “corrosion”. The NHTSA said the design of the rear axle could lead to rust thanks to it collecting “road salt slush”.

The NHTSA reported that complaints have increased to 950. You can read the full story on abcnews.go.com, which also explains what to do if this recall affects you. Has your Windstar van been affected? Let us know in the comments.

These models are the 2010 Ford Fusion, Ford Explorer Sport Track, Mercury Milan and Mountaineer. It seems that the manual recliners do not meet current Federal Motor vehicle safety standard 202 – hence the recall.

According to autoevolution, if one of these Ford vehicles were to crash, the seatback and head restraint could travel backwards – this could increase the risk of injury to passengers. Ford has announced that the recall will begin on April 30 – where you will have to visit your local dealer to replace your manual or power recliners.

It seems that car recalls are becoming more frequent now, or have we just been much closer attention since the 8 million Toyota recalls?