Ford Recalls Over 20K Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles Over Short-Circuiting in Battery

Ford has issued a recall for over 20,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a battery issue, reports USA TODAY.

A total of 20,558 vehicles are included in the recall. Affected models are 2020 to 2024 Ford Escape PHEVs, and 2021 to 2024 Lincoln Corsair PHEVs.

Recalled vehicles contain 2½-liter PHEV engines, with high-voltage battery cells prone to internal short-circuiting that can shut down the vehicle’s propulsion system.

Vehicles in this recall were included in another earlier recall, back in December 2024. Vehicles had their battery energy control module software updated, but the automaker has since received multiple reports of battery thermal venting that it has been investigating since this past September.

“As of November 5th, 2025, Ford is aware of seven cases of battery cell venting on vehicles with the remedy software, all on Kuga PHEV vehicles in Europe,” said Ford.

The cause behind the current recall has not been released, though Ford has said, based on the December 2024 recall, the short-circuiting issue likely stems from damage to the high-voltage battery pack cell’s separator layer.

Dealers were notified as of Nov. 18, with vehicle owners to be notified beginning Dec. 1. Ford has instructed drivers to limit the maximum state of charge of their vehicles through the Ford SYNC infotainment system or Ford/Lincoln application, and should only use “Auto EV” mode.