Ford recalls over 650,000 pickups for brake hose

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is recalling over 650,000 of its top-selling F-150 pickups as well as a Lincoln-branded truck because of a problem with the brake hose that could cause the vehicles to lose braking power.

The automaker has recalled 2005 and 2006 model year Ford F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks, according to the recall notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on its website on Wednesday.

Ford trucks covered by the recall are equipped with 5.4-liter engines. The brake hose on those trucks can detach from an intake manifold, causing the driver to lose the "assist" function that provides additional power to the brakes, according to the safety notice.

The trucks could still be stopped with remaining braking power but it would require drivers to apply "more force to the pedal," Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said.

He said Ford had received reports of 11 minor accidents but no injuries because of the brake hose defect.

The sweeping recall covers almost 606,000 vehicles in the United States and comes just as Ford is gearing up to launch all-new versions of its F-Series pickup truck line.

U.S. sales of the Ford trucks are down 16 percent this year in a downturn tied to high gasoline prices and a slumping U.S. housing market.

In addition to the trucks covered by the U.S. government recall, there are another 50,000 of the trucks on the road in Canada covered by a similar recall procedure, Ford said.

Ford said customers in the United States and Canada affected by the recall could have brake hoses replaced at Ford dealerships starting in late June.

Ford customers with questions can call 1-800-392-3673 for more information, the automaker said.

(Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)