Ford issues three recalls, two of which cover fewer than five cars

Ford's got three new recalls on its hands. Two of them cover fewer than 10 cars between 'em. The other one, though, is quite the doozy.

Recall the first: 400,000 Transits

Ford's first recall affects roughly 400,000 examples of the 2015-2017 Ford Transit. The recall covers both vans and buses, with medium, long and extended wheelbases. It also covers chassis cabs with medium wheelbases. All of the vehicles in question were built at the Kansas City Assembly Plant between January 17, 2014 and June 15, 2017.

The issue is related to a flexible coupling in the driveshaft. This coupling may crack, which could cause the driveshaft to separate. If the vehicle is parked, it may roll unless the parking brake is applied. If the vehicle is in motion, it will suffer a loss of motive force and the swinging driveshaft may inadvertently damage other nearby components.

Ford's method of fixing it is a little weird. If a recalled vehicle has less than 30,000 miles, the owner doesn't need to do anything until it hits that milestone. Ford believes, based on its data, that the couplings won't cause driveline separation unless they've been used for 30,000 miles.

Vehicles over that figure will have to have their driveshaft couplings replaced every 30,000 miles until a permanent fix is found and verified. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing.

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Recall the second: Four cop cars

This one affects just a slightly lower number of vehicles. Ford's second recall of the day covers exactly four examples of the Ford Police Interceptor Utility -- you know, the one that looks like the Explorer.

Missing inboard seat attachments are the culprit. In the event of a crash, the second-row seat may not be able to adequately restrain an occupant, which could lead to a greater chance of injury or death. Sure, the person in the second row of a police car is often a criminal, but punishments should be left to the courts.

Dealers will contact owners -- likely police departments, since the affected vehicles are too new to be decommissioned. Technicians will inspect the second row and, if necessary, repair the second row seat attachment studs.

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Recall the third: Three Escapes

If you're one of the three 2016 Ford Escapes affected by Ford's third recall of the day, congratulations, go buy a lottery ticket.

Ford issued a recall for a whopping three 2016 Escapes, all of which were built in Louisville on December 18, 2015. The problem can be raced to a driver knee airbag module. If there's a crash that requires the driver knee airbag to deploy, it might not, due to a lack of "inflator gas generant material." Airbags that don't work perfectly tend to increase the risk of crash-related injuries.

The three dealerships that sold these three Escapes are in the process of contacting the owners right now, who will have to get their driver knee airbags replaced.

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