Dearborn, Mich. – July 20, 2018 – Ford Motor Company has recalled more than two dozen vehicles potentially equipped with defective torque converters, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
The campaign affects 2017-2018 Ford Edge sport utility vehicles produced between July 28, 2017, and March 8, 2018, as well as 2017 Lincoln MKZ sport utility vehicles manufactured between Aug. 24, 2017. The American automaker suspects all of the vehicles referenced in the action contain the defective parts.
The Defect
The affected vehicles contain two-liter engines with torque converters with defective welds prone to breakage. In the event that these joints collapse, the torque converter may disconnect from the engine flexplate, leading to the loss of motive power and increasing the likelihood of an accident. This defect therefore poses a serious hazard to occupants.
However, Ford has yet to receive reports connecting the problematic components to any accidents or injuries.
Timeline of Events
Members of the Ford Critical Concern Review Group received a report in May 2018 that outlined in instance in which a vehicle owner brought his car in for service to repair broken torque converter welds. The torque converter in this vehicle had been recalled in an earlier campaign but was apparently not quarantined during production. An investigation revealed that assembly personnel had mishandled the component and installed it in a new transmission.
Ford engineers discovered that this misstep had been made more than two dozen times.
The Ford Field Review Committee took up the issue June 4, 2018, and chose to call for an immediate voluntary recall. The automaker informed dealers of the forthcoming action June 11, 2018.
The Solution
Ford directed dealers to replace the torque converters in affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. The car company reached out to owners via first-class mail between June 25, 2018, and June 29, 2018.
Those still in need of assistance can speak with Ford customer service personnel by calling (866) 436-7332. Callers should use the internal recall reference code 17S16. Owners can also connect with the NHTSA directly using the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.