Ford to recall Figo and Classic Cars in India
Ford's Figo hatchback (Reuters).

Automaker Ford is recalling some 166,000 cars in India to deal with potential problems with their rear twist beam and the power steering hose.

The move by Ford's India unit, the largest recall of cars in the country, follows last year's recall of some Figo and Classic cars. Last August, the company recalled over 100,000 vehicles to check for potentially defective parts that could cause breakdowns or fires.

Ford said on 13 September it wanted to further examine the Figo hatchback and Classic sedan models for potentially defective parts. However, not all cars would need repairs.

Ford said it would inspect 109,469 Figo and 22,453 Classic vehicles, produced and sold in India between January 2011 and June 2012, for potentially faulty rear twist beams.

As many as 30,681 Figos and 3,418 Classics, produced and sold between January-August 2010 and March-November 2011, would be inspected for potentially inferior power steering hoses.

No injuries or accidents related to the rear twist beam and the power steering hose have been reported, Ford India said, reported Reuters.

"Ford India is extending its existing voluntary Field Service Action (FSA) and will recall the remaining batches of Ford Figo and Ford Classic models to inspect them for potential issues related to the Rear Twist Beam (RTB) and the Power Assisted Steering (PAS) Hose," Ford India said in a statement

"This is to ensure the safety and satisfaction of our customers by inspecting and replacing any potentially affected parts as required. Ford India will continue to drive this service initiative through its authorised dealers," according to the company statement.

Ford dealerships across India are expected to notify customers. Car owners can also contact Ford dealers through a toll-free number: 1800 419 9889, reported the Mint.

Vehicle Recalls in India

Earlier in the year, rival automaker General Motors (GM) recalled 114,000 Chevrolet Tavera utility vehicles, built and sold exclusively in India, to deal with emissions and specification problems.

GM told Indian authorities that its engineers rigged emission tests to meet government standards.

GM also fired several employees in the US and India after an internal probe into the Tavera recall revealed "violations of company policy".

Media reports said that Sam Winegarden, GM's vice-president for global engine engineering, and some 10 other GM powertrain employees in the US and India were sacked.

Earlier, Japanese automaker Honda's India unit recalled over 40,000 cars to replace their power window switches.