850K Cars Could Suddenly Stop At Highway Speed: Recall Roundup

In two big recalls this week, Ford is recalling more than 850,000 cars and trucks, and Walmart is recalling a similar number of insulated water bottles after two people were permanently blinded when the caps exploded, according to federal safety agencies.

Other recalls involve Oscar Mayer turkey bacon distributed nationwide that may contain listeria, mislabeled Ritz Crackers that pose a “life-threatening” risk to people with peanut allergies, and a popular brand of e-bike that poses a fall risk.

Sources for this report are the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Fuel Pump Failure Increases Crash Risk

Ford is recalling more than 850,000 of its cars across the U.S. because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the vehicles may fail, and potentially cause an engine stall while driving, increasing crash risks.

The recall covers a wide range of Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles made in recent model years, according to documents published this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The automaker estimates only about 10 percent of the 850,318 vehicles it is recalling have the fuel pump defect. The recall covers certain Ford Broncos, Explorers and Lincoln Aviators between the 2021 and 2023 model years, in addition to 2021-2023 model year F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD and F-550 SD vehicles. Select 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigators, Ford Mustangs and F-150s are also impacted, as well as some 2022 Expeditions.

The Michigan-based automaker isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to the recall, the report notes.

Beginning Monday, Ford plans to send letters to known owners warning them of the potential fuel pump failure. But a remedy is still “under development,” the NHTSA's recall report notes, and it’s unclear when vehicle owners can expect to get their cars repaired. When the time comes, owners will be able to get their cars fixed at an authorized dealer at no charge.

In the meantime, owners should be aware of warnings that a fuel pump failure may be imminent. The “check engine” light may flash, and drivers may notice a decrease in engine power.

Fuel pump failure is “more likely to occur” during warm weather or if there’s low fuel in the tank, the recall report notes. Loss of fuel pressure and flow can be caused by internal contamination of a car’s jet pump, amid other factors. Ford also identified supplier changes during a review of the manufacturing process, the report adds. More information is found on the NHTSA website.

— Reporting by The Associated Press

2 Blinded By Exploding Bottle Caps

Walmart has recalled 850,000 water bottles after three customers reported they were hit in the face by exploding caps, and two of them reported permanent blindness, according to a notice on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

The screw-cap lid on the 64-ounce Stainless Steel Insulated Ozark Trail bottles may “forcefully eject” when opening them after they’ve been used to hold food or beverages for a period of time, according to the notice.

Walmart is an exclusive vendor of the bottles, which have been sold nationwide at physical and online stores since 2017 for around $15.

The stainless steel bottles with a one-piece screw top lid have an Ozark Trail logo embedded on one side. The model number 83-662 does not appear on the bottle itself, but is on the packaging.

Consumers who bought the bottles should stop using them and return them to Walmart for a full refund. More information is found on the CPSC website.

Listeria Concerns Prompt Kraft Recall

Kraft Heinz Foods Co. is recalling about 368,000 pounds of fully cooked turkey bacon products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The turkey bacon was produced from April 24 through June 11. Products subject to the recall bear the Oscar Mayer label and were shipped to retail locations nationwide, according to the notice.

The problem was discovered by Kraft Heinz during routine laboratory testing. There have been no confirmed reports of listeria illness associated with consumption of the products, the FSIS said.

The recalled products are no longer available in stores, but have “best by” dates extending into September. Consumers who have them in their refrigerators should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Consumption of contaminated products can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups can become ill.

More information about the recall, including the UPC numbers and “use by” dates of affected products, is found on the FSIS website.

Ritz Crackers: ‘Life-Threatening’ Labeling Error

The manufacturer of Ritz Crackers is recalling some of its snack packs over what it called a “life-threatening” labeling error, according to a notice on the Food and Drug Administration website.

The voluntary recall is limited to 8-pack, 20-pack, and 40-pack Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwich cartons and the 20-pack Ritz Filled Cracker Sandwich Variety Pack cartons. The products were distributed nationwide.

All outer cartons on the affected products are labeled correctly and provide an allergen advisory statement indicating that the product “contains peanuts,” according to the FDA.

The problem is that some individual packets may be mislabeled as cheese products, even though they contain peanut butter. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts may risk serious or life-threatening allergic reactions by consuming the mislabeled product, the FDA said.

Mondelēz Global LLC, the manufacturer, said it hasn’t received any reports of illness related to the product. The recall was initiated as a precaution after discovering a supplier error on the film packaging rolls used to package the individual snack packs.

No other Ritz products are affected by the recall. A full list of the recalled products is found on the FDA website.

E-Bikes Recalled Due To Crash Hazard

Giant Bicycle, the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer and an industry leader in the growing e-bike market, is recalling about 6,200 of its e-bikes because of a potentially dangerous defect that could cause the front fork steering tube to crack, break or separate during use, posing a fall hazard.

The company has received four reports of the forks breaking but no reports of injuries, according to a Consumer Product Safety Commission notice.

The recall involves Momentum Vida E+ bikes sold from September 2019 through May 2025 for between $2,500 and $3,200. They were sold by authorized dealers, and online.

To determine if their bike is included in the recall, consumers should look at the third character of the bike’s serial number. Those with a serial number whose third character is “H,” “J” or “K” must have the steering forks replaced free of charge by an authorized dealer, while those with the letter “G” as the third character should visit a Giant Bicycle dealer for an inspection to determine the fork status.

Details on how to arrange for a repair are found on the CPSC website.