Ford tries to hold off Toyota charge

Ford Motor Co. is trying to stay focused on its North American turnaround amid a drumbeat of bad news this week. The nation’s No. 2 automaker expanded a major recall on Thursday, doubled its second-quarter losses the day before and for the first time, fell behind Toyota in U.S. vehicle sales.

To help, it has hired a former Wall Street merger and acquisitions whiz as a strategic adviser, cementing the idea that everything is on the table as it battles sluggish sales, rising costs and ferocious competition from Asian rivals.

On Tuesday, industry figures for July showed that for the first time, Ford sold fewer vehicles than Toyota Motor Corp. in the United States ? underscoring its woes.

Last month, Ford pledged to speed up and possibly deepen its North American turnaround plan.