Ford recalls 125K vehicles due to risk of engine failure causing fires

In this article:

More than 125,000 Ford-manufactured vehicles are being recalled due to the possibility of engine failure causing a fire, according to a federal safety report.

The recall includes 86,656 model year 2020-23 Ford Escapes, 35,501 model year 2022-23 Ford Mavericks, and 3,165 model year 2021-23 Lincoln Corsairs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

“Affected vehicles have 2.5-liter HEV/PHEV engines that could fail prematurely,” the NHTSA said in a consumer alert. “If they do, engine oil and/or fuel vapor may be released and accumulate near ignition sources, resulting in potential under-hood fires, localized melting of components, or smoke.”

Owners will be contacted starting June 12, and a fix for the engine issue is expected to be ready by the year’s third quarter, the traffic safety administration said.

“Ford advises customers to safely park and shut off the engine as [quickly] as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, lose power, or see or smell smoke,” reads the NHTSA notice.

The announcement comes just days after Ford recalled 140,000 model year 2015-19 Lincoln MKC SUVs over the possibility of fires. And last week, Ford recalled more than 175,000 Bronco SUVs from the model years 2021-23 over a seat belt issue, according to CNN.

“The customer may experience some dissatisfaction or be discouraged if they are unable to easily access the seatbelt… in its stowed position,” the NHTSA’s Bronco notice said. “Driving without the use of a seatbelt increases the risk of injury in a crash.”

Other major U.S. vehicle recalls this year include Nissan recalling 700,000 of its Rogue and Rogue Sport SVUs in February due to a key fob issue that could cause cars to turn off while being driven.

Advertisement