Autoblog

Ford Motor Company is recalling a whole herd of trucks to see the team doctors over concerns about a hose in the braking system that could adversely effect the vehicles' braking power. According to the NHTSA, about 605,000 2005 and 2006 model year Ford F150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks equipped with the 3-valve 5.4-liter V8 will receive a hose replacement free of charge. The problem hose supplies the brake booster with engine vacuum, and could swell over time and eventually become disconnected. While the hydraulic braking system will function without the power assist, pedal effort will be significantly increased, and if drivers are taken off-guard by the problem an accident could occur. Ford will start notifying owners in June, and the recall campaign will kick off in July. According to FoMoCo, there have been 11 minor accidents related to the issue. Check out more details from the NHTSA after the jump.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Lincoln MKT Concept

When Ford previewed the 2009 Ford F-150 ahead of the Detroit Auto Show, it was non-committal when asked how the new top shelf Platinum edition would affect the Lincoln Mark LT luxury pickup. While the Mark LT proved to be more commercially successful than the previous Blackwood, the concept of a Lincoln-branded luxury pickup appears destined for the scrap heap once again. Ford's premium brand will instead expand its crossover lineup by adding the Lincoln MKT that debuted as a concept in Detroit. The full-size MKT is based on the same platform as the Ford Flex, but features all of Lincoln's new design language from the split grille to the belt-line chamfer. While the concept had a four-seat layout, the production version will almost certainly have a third row, as well. Ford is currently finalizing the design with consumer clinics and Job 1 should happen sometime in spring 2009.



[Source: Detroit News]

The votes are in, the judges have, uh, judged and it's official: Democrats control the House.

No, wait. Wrong election. The Truth About Cars readers and staff have chosen the 2006 winners (losers?) of The Worst Automobile Today award.

For those with stomachs too queasy or hearts too weak to read criticism of the domestic auto industry, we recommend you find something else to read. Those TTAC folks get kinda brutal.

Just to keep you in suspense, the list of TWAT winners, with excerpts of TTAC's witty criticism, is after the jump.

Voting is open for The Truth About Cars' first ever Ten Worst Automobiles Today (or TWAT) award that we told you about earlier in the month. The initial list of more than 120 reader nominations contained predictable TWAT-eligible autos like GM's ancient minivans, uh, sorry, Crossover Sport Van, a couple of Saturns, several DaimlerChryslers, and a few Korean models. Some vehicles that were nominated but didn't make the list included highly-respected vehicles like the Toyota Camry, Pontiac Solstice, Ford Focus and Honda Fit.

Using a highly refined proprietary system, TTAC staffers trimmed the candidates to 20. Voting for the Ten Worst Automobiles Today is now open until Wednesday. See the 20 TWAT candidates after the jump.