Ford Issues Recall of 125K Vehicles Over Fire Risk
Ford has expanded and reissued a previous recall that will apply to 125,000 sport utility vehicles and trucks due to a fire risk, Reuters reports.
According to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects certain Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs and Maverick compact pickup trucks from model years 2020 through 2023 that are equipped with 2.5L hybrid or plug-in hybrid engines.
Ford has credited “isolated engine manufacturing issues” with resulting in the engine failing prematurely and releasing engine oil or fuel vapor, which presents the risk of fire and injury.
The Escape, Corsair, and Maverick vehicles were first recalled by Ford in July 2022 after 23 global reports detailed “a suspected block or oil pan breach” causing fire or smoke. As of this past Tuesday, the automaker has received reports of at least three vehicles catching on fire even after receiving the 2022 recall fix.
The fix for this new recall is still under development. In the meantime, both Ford and the NHTSA have advised drivers to park and shut off the engine if they hear unusual sounds from the engine, if the vehicle is noticeably less powerful, or if smoke is detected.
