Ford and Toyota, two of the world's largest automakers, on Wednesday recalled a total of nearly 5 million pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
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The recall by Ford Motor Co., the fifth-largest recall in U.S. automotive history, involves 3.8 million pickups and SUVs from the 1994 to 2002 model years, including the top-selling F-150 pickup.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Ford have been investigating complaints of engine fires linked to the cruise control switch system.
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 978,000 SUVs and pickup trucks over complaints that a rod linking the steering wheel and the wheels could fracture when the steering wheel is turned while the vehicle is stopped.
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The affected vehicles include the 1990 to1995 4Runner SUV, 1989 to 1995 truck 4WD and 1993 to 1998 T100 pickup.
In the Ford case, NHTSA said it is reviewing 1,170 allegations of engine fires related to the vehicles and would continue a probe launched earlier this year. Allegations of three deaths have been cited in news reports or lawsuits in Iowa, Georgia and Arkansas.
Ford's recall includes the 1994 to 2002 F-150, 1997 to 2002 Ford Expedition, 1998 to 2002 Lincoln Navigator and 1994 to 1996 Ford Bronco equipped with factory-installed speed control. It covers most of the vehicles being evaluated by NHTSA.
Ford said its inquiry found brake fluid could leak through the cruise control's deactivation switch into the system's electrical components, leading to potential corrosion. That could lead to a buildup of electrical current that could cause overheating and a fire.
Owners will be notified by mail immediately. Dealers will install a fused wiring harness to act as a circuit breaker in the system.
In January, Ford recalled nearly 800,000 vehicles from the 2000 model year because of concerns over engine fires.
"We have a solution that fixes the problem, and we're confident that this is going to be the right remedy," said Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley.
The Ford F-series truck has been the best-selling full-size pickup for nearly three decades.
The recall, which will cost millions of dollars, comes at a difficult time for Ford. The company's second-quarter profits were down 19 percent to $900 million, hurt by increasing competition and high labor and health care costs. The automaker plans to lay off at least 2,750 salaried workers in North America by the end of the year.
Toyota said its recall will begin in mid-September and is based on seven confirmed cases of the power-steering problem in T100 vehicles. No crashes have been tied to the issue.
Toyota's U.S. sales were up 11.4 percent in the first eight months of this year, compared with an average increase of 3.5 percent for the Big Three. Car sales made up most of that increase. Sales of light trucks – including the 4Runner – were up only 2 percent.