Pleasanton, CA – November 20, 2020 – Ford (NYSE:F) is recalling 2,903 Transit Connect vans with incorrect control software settings that may cause the engine to overheat and could lead to a fire. The recall includes 2019-2020 Transit Connect vans with 2.5L engines and concerns the following components:
- Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Calibration
- R07, #KV6A-12A650-PF
- R21, #KV6A-12A650-AEC
- R25, #KV6A-12A650-APB
- R31, #KV6A-12A650-AJ
Recall summary
The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) is “the brain” of the car that controls over 100 elements. Usually, the PCM is programmed to enter a “failsafe” mode that will cool the vehicle down if the engine gets too hot. Due to a software calibration issue, however, the software in the recalled vehicles may not trigger the failsafe mode until temperatures exceed safe limits. Running the van at this high temperature could damage the engine or even cause a fire.
This is the second recall for Ford 2020 Transit vans this fall. In September, over 54,000 vans were recalled because of faulty rearview cameras that displayed a “distorted or blank image.”
Safety concerns
The U.S. Fire Administration 2019 Report on Fire in the United States stated that equipment failures accounted for at least 20% of vehicle fires between 2009 and 2017.
Vehicle fires are a fairly common occurrence that can pose a great risk to the occupants of the vehicle, as well as passerbys. For tips on what to do if your car catches fire, please visit this page.
Repair
To fix the issue, dealers will reprogram the PCM software. The recall started on October 26 and is free of charge.
Is your vehicle affected by this recall?
Nearly 3,000 vehicles are included in this Ford recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
