U.S. officials issued a safety warning Tuesday for 4.5 million Ford Motor Co. (F) vehicles due to concerns that hydraulic leaks could cause fires.

The safety recall affects cars equipped with a faulty cruise-control switch manufactured by Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN). The switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat and then burn, "potentially causing fires even with the ignition turned off and the vehicles parked and unattended," the Transportation Department's National Highway Safety Administration said.

"All owners of recalled Ford vehicles should immediately make appointments with their dealers and not park their vehicles in garages or near homes until repairs are made," the agency said.

NHTSA has previously issued seven other recalls for Ford vehicles equipped with the switch. Some 16 million Ford cars have now been recalled.

Regulators urged consumers to look for warning signs, including non-working cruise-control systems, non-working brake lights, illuminated brake-light and ABS dashboard symbols, and the inability to get the vehicle's transmission out of "park."

Tuesday's warning applied to the following models: 1995-2003 model year Ford Windstars; 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesels; 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels; 1992-2003 Ford Econolines; 1995-2002 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers; 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Rangers; and 1994 Ford F53 motor homes.

-By Josh Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; joshua.mitchell@dowjones.com