Ford Motor Co. said on Friday it is issuing a new recall for 100,000 US hybrid vehicles because of a risk of under-hood fires. The company also said that it is expanding an earlier recall after a series of reported fires.
The new recall covers some 2020 through 2022 model year Escapes, Lincoln Corsairs and Mavericks with 2.5-liter hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains. Ford said in the event of an engine failure fuel and oil vapor can leak onto hot parts and catch fire.
Dealers will modify the Under Engine Shield and Active Grille Shutter to address safety concerns. Ford said it will reportedly notify owners of the affected Escapes, Lincoln Corsairs and Mavericks beginning Aug. 8.
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Globally, there have been 23 reports of fires while engines were on. However, no accidents or injuries associated with this issue have been reported.
Both Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have pages of a list of affected vehicles.
Meanwhile, the expansion of the earlier recall covers just over 66,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs in the US manufactured between July 27, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021.
The earlier Ford SUV recall, in May, applied to just more than 39,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigators with a 2021 model year and build dates between Dec. 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021.
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According to Ford, the company has identified the source of the problem with the Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.
The company “believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by a supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said in its release. “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.”
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Parts for the defect are likely to be made available for repair beginning in early September.