Ford Motor Co. (F) would probably like to hide under the hood of its vehicles lately, but that might not be such a good idea with the all bad luck the automaker has faced with its vehicles.
The Dearborn, Mich., company on July 8 issued a safety recall of a total of 100,689 of its 2020-2022 Corsair, Escape and Maverick vehicles with 2.5 liter HEV/PHEV engines because of an under hood fire hazard, according to a statement it sent to UPI.
"Ford is issuing a safety recall for certain vehicles with 2.5-liter HEV/PHEV engine because in the event of an engine failure, significant quantities of engine oil and/or fuel vapor may be released into the under hood environment and may migrate to and/or accumulate near ignition sources resulting in potential under hood fire, localized melting of components, or smoke," Ford said in the statement.
Automaker Will Inform Vehicle Owners of Recall
Ford said it notified dealers on July 8 and will inform vehicle owners Aug. 8 that dealers will fix the problems by modifying the under engine shield and active grille shutter on affected vehicles. It said isolated engine manufacturing issues resulted in 2.5 liter HEV/PHEV engine failures involving the engine block or oil pan breach.
Ford's July 8 safety recall coincided with its announcement on the same day that it had identified a remedy for customers affected by a separate under hood fire recall of certain 2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The automaker is advising customers to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until a dealer services their vehicle for the recall. It said the vehicle may pose a risk of under hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and shut off.
The automaker on May 19 issued a recall of some 66,221 of its 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Since May, it received reports of 21 under hood fires in the vehicles, including 18 incidents in vehicles owned by auto rental companies. Repairs involving battery injunction boxes that may have melted can be done immediately, Ford said. Repairs on 700-watt cooling fan systems may begin in early September when parts for those repairs will be available.
Ford believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by a supplier during the covid-19 pandemic, the statement said. Printed circuit boards produced at this facility are uniquely susceptible to a high-current short and were supplied to Ford and installed in Expedition and Navigator SUVs produced during the recall window.
Vehicle Owners Can Still Drive Cars
Ford said it has not issued instructions to stop driving vehicles under the recall and is not aware of any accidents related to this issue. The company said it is aware of one reported injury.
The automaker on June 15 also issued a safety recall on 48,924 of its Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles for a software update to prevent overheating of the vehicles' high-voltage battery main contactors. The issue can cause an overheated relay switch to open while driving and result in a loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of an accident.
Ford had not issued instructions to stop driving the Mustang Mach-E under the recall. The three recalls amount to a total of 215,834 vehicles.
