Washington, Jan 11 (THAINDIAN NEWS) US automaker Ford Motor Co. has issued recall for almost half a million cars following safety flaws. The giant automaker said the flaw could cause the vehicle to catch fire or the engine to lose power.

The recall affects around 490,000 vehicles. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is supervising the recall. About 40,000 of the vehicles are being recalled from outside of the United States.

A spokesperson of Ford stated that, “Ford is committed to top quality and responding quickly for our customers concerning any safety issues…Ford has received a few reports of property damage beyond vehicle-only damage as a result of alleged vehicle fires.”

The company said the 2001 and 2002 models of the Escape SUV’s may have brake fluid leak which may eventually spark a fire in the car. The 2004 and 2005 model Freestar and Monterey minivans have flaw with their torch converter which could eventually lead to loss of power.

The company stated that owners of the affected brands should return the vehicle to be fixed. In the United States, 205,896 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans along with 244,530 Ford Escape sport-utility cars are affected by the recall. Outside of the United States, 40,000 Escapes are expected to be returned.

The spokesperson said Ford is not aware of any major accident with respect to the flaw. He admitted that two accidents have been reported.