ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, July 19, 1996 TAG: 9607190032
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DEARBORN, MICH.
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday announced safety recalls of nearly 100,000 1996 Taurus-Mercury Sable sedans and Windstar minivans to fix a defect that could cause them to roll when parked.
Ford also said it was voluntarily recalling 7,125 1995 Mercury Villager minivans because the third-row bench seat may not properly latch to the seat rail.
The problem on the Taurus, Sable and Windstar can cause the vehicles to behave as if the transmission is in neutral when it actually is in park, Ford said. There are about 99,700 vehicles affected, of which 6,230 are in Canada.
It is the second major recall for the 1996 Taurus and Sable. In February, Ford recalled about 83,300 of the cars to replace an electrical switch that may have been damaged during manufacturing.
The Taurus is the best-selling car in the United States.
On the Villager, the third row bench seat may not meet federal seat strength standards, Ford said. Signs that the seat is not properly latching are a rattling noise and, if a passenger is sitting on it, a feeling that the seat is shifting.
Of the Villagers recalled, about 540 are in Canada.
Ford also said it was notifying owners of 2,825 1996 Probe coupes that a warning label on the driver's side sun visor may not include important information warning against installing rear-facing child seats in a front seat.
``Even though the information is on the passenger-side visor, it's not on the driver's side and we want to make sure owners have appropriate safety information everywhere in the car,'' Romine-MacBride said.
Ford owners who want to find out if their vehicle is subject to the recalls can contact their dealer or call (800) 392-3673, and provide the vehicle identification number.
Lean Cuisine turkey pies under recall
WASHINGTON - The Nestle Frozen Food Co. is recalling about 21,000 packages of a Lean Cuisine turkey pie because the labels neglect to say that the product contains eggs, to which some people are allergic, the Agriculture Department said Thursday.
The recall covers all packages of ``Lean Cuisine Turkey & Country Vegetable Pie'' with the code 6159NH P-695 on the side. The product, made in Solon, Ohio, was sent to stores in 18 states.
Customers with egg allergies should return the product to the store where it was bought.
The department said the pies were made using an old recipe containing egg but put in packages for a new version without eggs. The pies were sold in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
The company is taking calls at (800)-225-1180, or people may call the USDA at (800-535-4555. |-Associated Press
Al-Anon moves
to Virginia Beach
Al-Anon Family Groups World Service Office, which oversees more than 30,000 global support groups for people affected by someone who drinks alcohol, has completed the move of its corporate offices from New York City to Virginia Beach.
The office, which employs 52 people, will save $600,000 a year by moving, officials said. Al-Anon also plans to hold its annual conventions in Virginia Beach. |-Associated Press
Mortgage rates dip
WASHINGTON - Thirty-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.23 percent this week, down from 8.42 percent last week, according to a national survey released Thursday by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
It was the lowest since July 3, when rates averaged 8.14 percent.
On one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.97 percent, down from 6.01 percent last week. Fifteen-year mortgages averaged 7.76 percent, down from 7.93 percent. |-Associated Press
Union shipbuilders
go out on strike
SAN DIEGO - About 2,700 workers of National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. did not show up for work Thursday, the first day of a strike over union rules at the West Coast's largest ship-building company.
Union members, who have not had a contract in four years, voted to strike after talks deadlocked on whether workers would be required to join one of seven unions.
Leaders of the seven striking unions - representing iron workers, machinists, electricians, carpenters, operating engineers, Teamsters and painters - promised to stay out as long as it takes for a contract.
Union negotiators want a vote on whether to continue union representation with a closed shop or scrap the unions altogether. The company wants a third choice - an open shop in which employees decide to join.
Nassco is an employee-owned company with more than $500 million in annual sales, mostly from Navy business. The Navy has the right to halt all work in the event of a strike, but officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.
In addition to its Navy work, the shipyard also built - and later repaired - the Exxon Valdez, which in 1989 spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska. |-Associated Press
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