A visitor takes a photo of a Ford Escape Titanium at the Shanghai Auto Show in Shanghai on April 17, 2019. (GREG BAKER / AFP)

BEIJING - Ford China Co, Ltd started recalling 59,935 imported vehicles from the Chinese market, the country's top quality watchdog said in a statement.

The recall involved imported Explorer SUVs manufactured between Nov 12, 2012 and Sept 30, 2017, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Certain vehicles' exposure to road salt can cause their cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe-link. The rear toe-link failure can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash, said the statement.

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Ford will replace the faulty parts free of charge to eliminate risks, the statement added.