????2013款翼虎（Escape）SUV是福特汽車公司（Ford Motor Co.）產(chǎn)品線里的新丁，不過它剛一推出就遇到了麻煩。福特公司要求購買了這款新車的顧客立即停止駕駛該車型，以避免自燃風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

????需要召回的這一批次共有11,500輛，這批車輛產(chǎn)自肯塔基州路易斯威爾市的福特工廠。我們尚不清楚該設(shè)計(jì)缺陷到底導(dǎo)致多少輛新翼虎受到了影響。不過受影響的車型僅限于搭載了1.6升Ecoboost發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的新翼虎。

????這已經(jīng)不是新翼虎的第一次召回了。新翼虎基于2000年推出的一個(gè)馬自達(dá)（Mazda）平臺(tái)，對(duì)老款翼虎進(jìn)行了全盤的重新設(shè)計(jì)。不過之前就有車主表示，由于新翼虎的中控臺(tái)左側(cè)面板存在設(shè)計(jì)缺陷，因此車主在踩油門時(shí)很容易誤觸剎車踏板。美國國家公路交通安全局（US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration）和福特公司對(duì)這個(gè)問題進(jìn)行了調(diào)查，并于幾周前下令對(duì)涉事車輛進(jìn)行召回?，F(xiàn)在福特正在更換中控面板。

????雖然福特目前尚未收到由于新翼虎的設(shè)計(jì)缺陷而導(dǎo)致傷亡的報(bào)告，但這兩次召回?zé)o疑都給此次新車型的發(fā)布抹上了污點(diǎn)，同時(shí)也削弱了消費(fèi)者對(duì)新翼虎的需求，況且消費(fèi)者的購車需求本來就還沒有恢復(fù)到2008年經(jīng)濟(jì)崩潰以前的水平。

????不過福特也正在耐心地做解釋工作，并且盡可能地向車主提供各種支持服務(wù)，比如在召回期間為車主租賃代步車輛等等，以使福特公司和經(jīng)銷商避免遭遇2010年到2011年豐田（Toyota）召回危機(jī)期間那樣慘痛的災(zāi)難。豐田后來承認(rèn)，在對(duì)突然加速等問題進(jìn)行調(diào)查的過程中，沒有即時(shí)、適當(dāng)?shù)叵蛎襟w、監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)和公眾發(fā)布信息。

????福特公司發(fā)言人瑪爾西?茨韋貝爾稱：“我們真的是在努力地消費(fèi)者做正確的事。這次我們采取的舉措是非常規(guī)的。一般來說，我們只是給客戶寄一封信，告訴他們把車子開過來接受服務(wù)或更換缺陷零部件?！?/p>

????汽車網(wǎng)站Edmunds.com的高級(jí)分析師米歇爾?克雷布斯稱：“對(duì)于福特來說，翼虎的這些問題遲早會(huì)平息下去。不過福特必須保證即將上市的新款福星（Fusion）順利發(fā)布。因?yàn)橹行图肄I是一個(gè)競爭很激烈的市場，絕對(duì)不能出任何岔子。”

????新翼虎第一次起火是在7月4號(hào)，發(fā)生在福特的裝配工廠。后來又發(fā)生了兩起自燃事故，福特認(rèn)定它們之間是有關(guān)聯(lián)的，這才在7月19日做出召回決定。

????根據(jù)福特公司的解釋，這三起自燃事故的根本原因是由于一家供應(yīng)商生產(chǎn)的燃油線路存在“刮傷”或劃痕，不過福特并未披露這家供應(yīng)商的名字。這根連接在發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)上的破損管線可能會(huì)發(fā)生破裂，進(jìn)而導(dǎo)致燃油泄露并起火燃燒。有兩次自燃都發(fā)生在向顧客交車之前，也就是說當(dāng)時(shí)是福特的員工在駕駛汽車。另一起火車輛當(dāng)時(shí)則正在由顧客駕駛，我們還不清楚這名顧客的身份。不過福特表示沒有人受傷。

????茨韋貝爾表示，更換受損的燃油線路只需不到一個(gè)小時(shí)就能完成，所有召回車輛“在一周內(nèi)”就會(huì)修理好。

????新翼虎與新款?？怂挂劳杏谕黄脚_(tái)，起價(jià)為22,500美元，它的競爭對(duì)手是本田（Honda）CR-V、豐田RAV4、馬自達(dá)CX-5和起亞智跑（Kia Sportage）等緊湊型SUV。它的造型則借鑒了歐版的福特Kuga。

????顯然，福特希望通過開放和透明的處理方式來平息新款SUV的技術(shù)缺陷和自燃風(fēng)險(xiǎn)所帶來的任何負(fù)面影響。

????譯者：樸成奎

????The 2013 Escape sport-utility vehicle, a rookie in Ford Motor Co.'s product lineup, stumbled in the starting blocks last week as the automaker ordered owners of the model to park their new cars immediately to avert the danger of a fire.

????The design flaw leading to the fire danger affected an unknown number of vehicles in a group of 11,500 Escapes that were built at Ford's Louisville, Kentucky manufacturing plant. Only Escapes equipped with a 1.6-liter Ecoboost engines were affected.

????It wasn't the first glitch. The new model, a comprehensive redesign of the Escape SUV based on a Mazda platform introduced in 2000, was a few weeks earlier recalled after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford opened an investigation into reports by drivers that their right foot might improperly move from accelerator to brake due to faulty design of a panel in the center console. Ford is replacing the panel.

????Though Ford has no reports of injuries or deaths the two safety recalls mar its new-model launch at a time when automakers are contending against each other and weak consumer demand, which hasn't yet recovered to the level prior to the 2008 economic collapse.

????But Ford it taking pains to be accommodating to requests for information as well as providing support such as loaner cars so the automaker and dealers may avoid a debacle such as the one that engulfed Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) in 2010-2011. Toyota admitted that its investigation into spectacular claims of unintended acceleration failed to provide adequate and timely information to media, regulators and the public.

????"We are really trying to do what's right on behalf of the consumer," said Marcey Zweibel, a Ford (F) spokesperson. "The steps we have taken aren't routine. Normally we send a letter and tell people to bring the vehicle in" for service or replacement of defective parts.

????Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst for Edmunds.com, said "these Escape problems will die down for Ford. But it has to get the impending launch of its new Fusion midsize family sedan right. That's such a competitive segment, no one can afford to have any slipps."

????The first fire took place at Ford's assembly plant on July 4. Two more blazes were detected before the automaker concluded the three were related and ordered the return of the affected vehicles on July 19.

????As Ford explained, the root of problem that caused three fires was a "scored" or scratched fuel line manufactured by a Ford supplier whose identity wasn't disclosed. The scored line that attached to the engine can split, thereby causing a fuel leak and combustion. Two of the three fires occurred when Ford employees were driving the car prior to their delivery to customers. One unidentified customer was driving an Escape that caught fire. Ford said no one was injured.

????Zweibel said the replacement of the fuel line takes less than an hour and all recalled vehicles will be repaired "within a few weeks."

????The new Escape, based on the same architecture as the new Ford Focus, starts at $22,500 and competes against the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage. The styling borrows cues for the Ford Kuga sold in Europe.

????Ford clearly is counting on openness and transparency to overcome whatever negatives the technical glitches and shocking threat of fire have caused its new SUV.