- Ford has recalled 90,736 vehicles for a potential catastrophic engine failure.
- Faulty intake valves could break in certain 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines.
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The 2021-2022 F-150, Bronco, Explorer, Edge, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator are affected by the recall.
Ford has been in recall hell for the last few years, and 2024 could be the worst of them all. The latest—Ford's 46th recall of the year—affects 90,736 vehicles with 2.7-liter or 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines under the hood. Intake valves in the engine could break off and drop into the combustion chamber, resulting in catastrophic engine failure.
Ford uses these engines in a wide range of vehicles. The recall specifically identifies the F-150, Bronco, Edge, and Explorer, as well as the Lincoln Nautilus and Aviator, all from 2021 and 2022. Valve failure isn't an isolated incident either—documents posted with the recall at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website mention 328 customer complaints, 487 warranty claims, and 809 engine replacements.
An investigation found that defective valves were manufactured using an alloy called Silchrome Lite, which can become brittle if it gets too hot during the machining process. According to recall documents, Ford switched to a different alloy in October 2021 that's "less susceptible to over-temperature during machine grinding." Ford believes a majority of the valves that could fail already have, but the company is proceeding with the large recall nonetheless.
However, the fix leaves us scratching our heads, as there's no mention of replacing potentially defective valves. Per the recall, Ford dealers will inspect affected vehicles "to determine its cumulative number of engine cycles. For vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles per a service procedure. Engines will be replaced on vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation."
We contacted Ford seeking clarification on the remedy and should have more information soon. A company spokesperson explained that, beyond the immediate recall, a special customer satisfaction program is offered to affected vehicle owners. If an intake valve failure occurs within 10 years or 150,000 miles, owners are eligible for a one-time engine replacement.
The spokesperson also provided this statement:
"Our goal is to prevent quality issues from happening in the first place. When they do occur, our focus is on responding quickly with a recall or service action to prevent our customers from experiencing issues with the least inconvenience possible. We are proud that our launch quality has reached best-in-class levels, and our long-term quality is showing improvement."
If this recall seems vaguely familiar, it stemmed from an NHTSA investigation in 2022 on engine failures in the Ford Bronco. 15,835 Broncos with the 2.7L and 3.0L engines are included in the recall, though the F-150 is the leader of this group with 47,719 vehicles affected.
Dealer notification of the recall will begin on September 30. Individual owner notification will follow on October 7.
