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Wednesday, October 31, 2001, updated at 08:57(GMT+8)
World  

Ford Motor Ousts Nasser as CEO

Jacques Nasser has been ousted as CEO of the slumping Ford Motor, replaced by the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, the company told employees Tuesday.

The move puts a Ford family member in charge of the automaker's day-to-day management for the first time since 1979, when Henry Ford II resigned.

"We've been given an amazing legacy, and we're going to build an even better one," said Chairman William Clay Ford Jr., who replaces Nasser as chief executive.

The management shake-up included the elevation of North American group vice president Nick Scheele to chief operating officer.

Scheele will be succeeded by Jim Padilla, group vice president for manufacturing and quality. Also, vice president of communications Jason Vines will be dismissed.

Nasser's fate had been the subject of much speculation in recent months as Ford was plagued by eroding sales, questions about vehicle quality and the ongoing Firestone tire crisis.

Nasser, 53, earned the moniker "Jac the Knife" for his prodigious cost-cutting. When he took over in January 1999, Ford was poised to overtake General Motors Corp. as the world's top automaker.

But 18 months later, Ford's momentum was shaken by the news that people were dying in accidents when the treads separated from Firestone tires, most of which were installed as original equipment on Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicles.

In some cases, the vehicles rolled over after the tread separations.

Just last week, a judge approved a settlement of a lawsuit over allegedly faulty ignition systems for vehicles dating from 1983 to 1995. The plaintiffs said the settlement could cost Ford as much as $2.7 billion for repairs.

Ford's market share is down �� slipping during the first nine months of 2001 to 22.6% from 22.8% a year ago.

William Clay Ford Sr., father of William Clay Ford Jr., is brother of Henry Ford II, who served as chairman and CEO from 1945 to 1979, and grandson of company founder Henry Ford, who ran the company from 1908 to 1918.

Henry Ford's only son, Edsel Ford, ran the company from 1918 to 1943. His name graced an ill-fated late 1950s model, considered one of the biggest flops in automobile history.

Ford Recalls More Than One Million Cars

Ford Motor is recalling more than one million vehicles because a faulty switch on the windshield wipers could cause a fire.

Ford spokesman Mike Vaughn said 40 fires have been reported in connection with the problem, but no flames have entered the passenger compartment. No accidents or injuries were reported, Vaughn said.

The recall involves 2000 and 2001 models of the Ford Focus, Taurus, Expedition, Excursion and F-series pickups; the Lincoln Continental, Town Car and Navigator; and the Mercury Sable. Nearly 1.1 million of the recalled vehicles were made between February and September 2000.

A switch on the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case can malfunction and overheat. That can cause the wiper to fail and cause smoke or fire on the plastic cover.

Ford began notifying owners of affected vehicles about the recall in September. The recall was included in a monthly list of recalls released Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.







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Jacques Nasser has been ousted as CEO of the slumping Ford Motor, replaced by the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, the company told employees Tuesday.

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