Ford Motor Co. is recalling 234,208 2003-2004 Econoline vans in North America to fix a defect in the antilock brake unit, Reuters reported Thursday. The defect can spark fires even when the vehicles are parked. The electronic unit that controls the antilock brakes in the vehicles could short out, sparking fires, according to Ford. A spokesman said that one of every 10,000 units may have the potential to overheat. The automaker is notifying customers not to park the van inside an enclosed structure due to the fire risk. Ford said the problem does not affect the braking ability of the vehicles and no accidents or injuries have been linked to the recall, according to the report. Volvo Car Corp. will recall 460,000 cars to fix a malfunctioning electronic fan control module that could cause a fire in the engine compartment. The recall is the largest in Volvo's history, spokesman Christer Gustafsson says. The recall involves S80, S60, V70 and XC70 models, mostly 2000 and 2001 models. A few 1999 models also are involved, Gustafsson says. No injuries have been reported. About 150,000 of the affected cars are in the United States. Because of a short circuit, the main cooling fans in some cars fail to shut off properly, causing the fan module to overheat. The problem is especially acute during slow-speed driving in warm climates, Gustafsson says. Toyota Motor Corp said Tuesday it will recall about 646,000 vehicles worldwide to fix the brakes in four models. The automaker will recall Yaris Verso, Scion xB, Celica and MR-S models built between July 22, 1999, and July 5, 2000, said spokeswoman Ai Ishitoya. No accidents related to the faults have been reported, the Japanese transport ministry said on its Web site. Toyota will recall about 470,000 vehicles outside of Japan, including the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia.
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