Consumer Catch-up: Massive Ford recall, Takata class action lawsuits, moms earn less

Ford recalls more than 1.3 million vehicles

Ford is recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles because the steering wheel could come off.

The recall impacts some Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars, 2014 - 2018 model years.

Ford said the steering wheel bolts can loosen over time, and the wheel could detach. The company has reports of two crashes and one person hurt from the issue.

Dealerships will replace the bolts for drivers. The new bolts will be longer, and have more aggressive threads and a nylon patch to prevent them from coming loose.

Class actions filed over Takata problems

Three class action lawsuits were filed today - claiming several automakers knew of problems with Takata airbags, but waited years to issue recalls.

The lawsuits cite company documents from previous lawsuits in claims against General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen, and Mercedes.

The plaintiffs say the companies knew about inflator problems that came up during testing, but didn't take action at that time. They also claim that car owners paid higher prices for the vehicles than they would have if the defect was disclosed.

At least 22 people have died from the exploding airbags, with another 180 hurt.

Mom earnings lag behind childless women

Moms still are not making salaries equal to women without children. New research found the gap hasn't improved since the 1980s.

Even with more education and experience, the study found the wage gap increased to about 14% for moms with one child in 2014 - the latest year data was available.

The researchers suggest that policies specifically aimed at supporting working moms may be necessary to fix the issue.

Click here for a look at more stories by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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