TORONTO - Ford Motor Co. joined two other automakers, Volkswagen and Chrysler, on Wednesday in announcing vehicle recalls that affect drivers in Canada.

In Ford's case, the announcement involves the expansion of an existing recall of 575,000 older-model Windstars over concerns that their rear axles can corrode and break.

The initial recall, which was announced in August, has now been expanded to include an additional 37,000 minivans, bringing the total number of Windstars covered to 612,000 in the United States and Canada.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said that, contrary to some claims, the recall was highly publicized at the time as one of the largest in the company's history.

He said 8,000 Canadian vehicles are included in the expanded recall.

The Chrysler and Volkswagen recalls involve a combined 87,000 vehicles in Canada.

Chrysler Canada issued a recall of more than 50,000 minivans because of a problem that can cause the airbag to accidentally deploy.

The recall, part of a larger U.S. recall of more than 360,000 vans, covers Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country 2008 models.

Chrysler said it will inspect and replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning drain hose parts that may have been improperly installed on some vehicles.

The issue could cause moisture to collect on the floor and damage the airbag deployment module, but Chrysler said it was not aware of any crashes caused by the issue.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen Canada recalled about 37,000 vehicles due to a potential problem with the windshield wiper fluid tank that could lead to a fire.

The recall affects 2007 to 2009 model year Golf, Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen, Rabbit and 2006 to 2010 Beetle and Beetle convertibles.

Company spokesman Thomas Tetzlaff said a plastic tab on the bottom of the windshield wiper fluid tank can chafe against a fuel line, potentially causing a hole which could led to a fire.

"The repair is quite simple, because that tab is not used for anything, it's just part of the moulding process of the plastic jug that holds the washer fluid," he said.

"We're going to remove that fluid jug, snip off that tab, check the fuel line and we'll be done with it."

He said there are no known incidents in which a fire has actually occurred.

The company will mail letters to car owners in January, but drivers can call their dealership if they have questions before receiving it.

Ford says it notified the government of the expanded recall on Nov. 30, and began mailing out letters to owners of the vans that were part of the expanded recall on Dec. 6.

The Associated Press spoke with the family of a Massachusetts man killed when the rear axle on his vehicle cracked in half, sending the vehicle careening into a building.

Sean Bowman's family members said on Wednesday that they received a safety recall notice from Ford in October, one week after the fatal accident and claimed Ford had not done enough to tell owners of the recall.

Ford declined to comment on Bowman's case.

The original recall included vans sold in the 1998 to 2003 model years in 21 U.S. states and Canada where heavy road salt can cause the axles to rust. That, in turn, can lead to cracks that can cause the axles to break.

The recall expansion includes 2003 model-year vans with heat-treated axles. It also includes vans registered in Utah, where road salt is used in some areas.

Ford said that as of September, the latest figures it has available, there were seven accidents with three injuries, none serious. Ford says it was aware of 950 complaints at that time.