FORD Australia is writing to owners of 42,988 vehicles to warn them that a fault with their car could lead to a fire.

The safety recall, released Thursday, states that certain Ford Focus cars made between April 12, 2011 and September 29, 2015 could have blocked carbon canisters.

This would be a result of the car ingesting excessive levels of dust.

Thousands of Ford Focus cars are now subject to a recall Contributed

"This could cause the fuel tank to reach vacuum levels that exceed design limits," the product recall states.

"If this condition is not corrected, the fuel tank may crack, resulting in a fuel leak.

"A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can lead to a fire."

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A Ford spokesman played down fears of cars bursting into flames.

"It is important to note that Ford has not received any reports of fires associated with this recall," he said.

"We do not believe that this potential safety risk requires customers to stop driving their vehicles."

Ford Australia is writing to those owners affected and telling them to go to their local Ford dealership for an inspection and to fix the problem.

For further information contact any authorised Ford dealer or the Ford Customer Relationship Centre on toll-free 1800 503 672.

For the full list of vehicle numbers affected click here.