Ford Motor Company has expanded and is issuing a new recall for over 125,000 sport utility vehicles and trucks because engine failures may cause a fire.
Ford Expands Recalls
Just days after issuing a recall affecting more than 142,500 MKC SUVs from its luxury arm Lincoln, Ford is now recalling a population of its Escape SUV and Maverick pickup truck, as well as the Lincoln Corsair SUV, for a serious issue that could lead to an engine compartment failure.
The recall is an expansion of a previous recall that affected more than 100,000 examples of the same models.
Isolated engine manufacturing issues can cause the engine to fail prematurely and subsequently release engine oil or fuel vapor, increasing the risk of fire and injury, according to Ford.
Why The Vehicles Are Recalled
All three models share similar engineering. Because of a manufacturing problem, the 2.5-liter gasoline engines can leak engine oil or gasoline vapors that can catch fire when they contact hot parts in the vehicles’ engine compartment.
Because the vehicles are hybrid and have electric motors as well as gas engines, someone could continue driving even after the engine has failed, making problems worse, according to paperwork Ford filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Vehicles Effected
The recall includes over 125,000 Escape SUVs, Maverick pickups and Lincoln Corsair luxury SUVs because their engines could leak fluids and catch fire. All the vehicles being recalled are hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions.
The Escape and Corsair are built at Ford’s plant in Louisville, Kentucky, while the Maverick, a small pickup, is built at a factory in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The recall applies to model year 2020 through 2023 Escapes, 2022 through 2023 Maverick models and 2021 through 2023 Corsairs.
Most of these vehicles were recalled for the same issue last year. At that time, Ford and Lincoln dealers made alterations to the vehicles, at no cost to owners, to allow for drainage of leaking fluid and fumes. Fires still occurred on vehicles that had the work done, though.
Ford is now working on other methods to prevent fires. There have been a total of 28 fires apparently linked to this issue, according to Ford, including five since last year’s recall.
Both Ford and the NHTSA are advising owners to park and shut off the engine if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke.
Owners with questions can contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. Owners can also contact their Ford or Lincoln dealer.
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