Ford issues second recall for Fiesta, Fusion cars whose doors may open while driving

Ford issues second recall for Fiesta, Fusion cars whose doors may open while driving 

December 30, 2023 Bojan Popic ,

Dearborn, MI  – December 30, 2023 – Ford (NYSE:F), which owns the Lincoln brand, is recalling 45,173 cars whose doors may open while driving, upping the risk of injury. 

The following models are affected by this recall: 

  • 2015 Ford Fiesta
  • 2016 Ford Fusion
  • 2016 Lincoln MKZ

This is an expansion of a previous recall over the same defect, which dates back to 2020.  Only vehicles sold in states with “high ambient temperatures” are affected.

Recall summary  

The doors in a car stay shut due to a latching mechanism. Due to a supplier error, this mechanism may partially or completely break apart in the listed vehicles, causing the doors not to close securely or open while driving. 

The full list of the affected states is available here.

Recall risks

An unsecured door may open while driving, augmenting the risk of injury.

Warning signs

The driver or passengers may notice that the doors “bounce off” instead of closing, and it may take several attempts to shut them properly. They may also see the “Door ajar” warning on the dashboard and perceive “increased wind noise.”

Background of the recall

The first recall for the issue was done in March 2020. At that time, the manufacturer believed that only vehicles produced from November 2013 to late April 2015 had the faulty part. However, that turned out to be incorrect, which prompted Ford to issue the present recall.

The recall comes on the back of multiple owner complaints and warranty claims. No injuries or accidents have been reported.

Other Ford recalls

Some of these cars may have been affected by a recall from March 2023, which was caused by leaking front brakes. 

Door latch issues were also the cause of a recent Ford Transit Connect recall, which took place in August 2023, as reported.  

The repair

Dealers will check the door latches and replace them free of charge.

Owners should receive letters with more information between December 4, 2023 and December 8, 2023. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 40,000 cars are affected by this door latch Ford recall. To do a Ford recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicFord issues second recall for Fiesta, Fusion cars whose doors may open while driving 
US government upgrades and expands Ford Bronco engine failure investigation

US government upgrades and expands Ford Bronco engine failure investigation 

October 15, 2023 Bojan Popic ,

Washington, D.C. – October 15, 2023 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator has expanded its investigation of Ford (NYSE:F) vehicles that may suffer from engine failure to include 683,000 more cars. The investigation was also upgraded to dig deeper into the issues and determine if a recall is warranted.

The following cars are under scrutiny:

  •  2021 – 2022 Ford Bronco
  •  2021 – 2022 Ford Edge 
  •  2021 – 2022 Ford Explorer
  •  2021 – 2022 Ford F-150
  •  2021 – 2022 Lincoln Aviator
  •  2021 – 2022 Lincoln Nautilus 

Investigation summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened the preliminary investigation in June 2022, following 32 complaints about Ford Bronco SUVs with 2.7L EcoBoost engines that would suddenly stall and not restart afterwards.

The investigation originally included around 25,000 vehicles.

As part of the process, NHTSA requested information about a broader subset of vehicles equipped with the said engine. The agency then discovered not only a multitude of complaints and engine exchanges but also that the defect potentially affected cars across the so-called “Nano” family which also included cars with the 3.0L EcoBoost engine.

On September 29, 2023, the investigation was upgraded to the so-called engineering analysis and expanded to include a total of 708,000 cars. The upgrade means that NHTSA will dig deeper into the issues to understand if the defect warrants a recall.

What has been found so far?

During the preliminary investigation, the regulator found out the likely culprit was an engine valve that was made from material that could become too fragile if overheated during the manufacturing process. This would cause the valves to break apart during operation and damage the engine.

Risks

A vehicle whose engine cuts out may lose power steering and brake assist, making it harder to maneuver and upping the risk of a crash. Additionally, the car may stall without prior warning and get hit by other motorists.

Other Ford recalls

In July 2023, Fusion Plug-in Hybrids vehicles (PHEV) were recalled because they could stall or catch on fire, as reported.

Some of the F-150 trucks listed here may have been affected by a recall from August 2023 caused by unintentional parking brake activation. 

Ford is also being investigated over allegedly faulty front doors that may not shut properly. 

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

This investigation may eventually lead to a Ford engine stall recall, potentially affecting more than 700,000 SUVs and trucks. To do a Lincoln or Ford recall check and see if your vehicle might be a part of it, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicUS government upgrades and expands Ford Bronco engine failure investigation 
Ford issues third round of Explorer, Lincoln recalls over faulty rearview cameras

Ford issues third round of Explorer, Lincoln recalls over faulty rearview cameras

June 3, 2023 Joseph Estabillo ,

Dearborn, MI – June 3, 2023 – Ford (NYSE:F), which owns the Lincoln brand, is recalling 422,201 SUVs with rearview cameras that may fail, resulting in an increased risk of an accident.

This recall comes on the back of a “minor crash” and is the third one of its kind since 2021.

The following models are affected:

  • 2020 – 2023 Ford Explorer
  • 2020 – 2023 Lincoln Navigator
  • 2020 – 2022 Lincoln Corsair

Recall summary

Owners of the affected vehicles may experience loss of video feed when either going in Reverse or when the 360-degree camera view is selected and the vehicle is being driven at a low speed. 

Recall risks

For more on risks of this recall, please see this recent article about a similar issue by Honda.  

Background of the recall

Ford originally recalled some of the affected vehicles in 2021. That recall had to be expanded in February of this year as the original remedy proved to be insufficient, as reported.

Following the second recall, the manufacturer received 250 warranty claims alleging loss of the video feed in cars that previously received repairs. The defect resulted in at least one minor accident.

Other Ford recalls

In July 2022, a lawsuit was filed against Ford involving the 2021 Ford Expedition and 2021 Lincoln Navigator, alleging that the two models presented an increased risk of fire while being driven or when parked and switched off. 

The Lincoln Navigator and Corsair were also the subjects of a Ford recall announced in January 2023 because of an issue with the seatbelt chime, as reported.

The repair

The remedy for the issue is being developed and will be available free of charge once ready. Ford will also reimburse owners who paid for their own repairs before the recall was issued. 

Owners of the affected vehicles will receive letters with more information by June 30, 2023.  

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 420,000 vehicles are affected by this Ford and Lincoln rearview camera issue. To run a Ford recall check or check for more Ford and Lincoln recalls,  please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Joseph EstabilloFord issues third round of Explorer, Lincoln recalls over faulty rearview cameras
US government investigates Ford over brake fluid leaks

US government investigates Ford over brake fluid leaks

September 4, 2022 Bojan Popic ,

Washington, D.C. – September 4, 2022 – The U.S. government’s auto safety regulator is investigating Ford (NYSE:F) over Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars that may leak brake fluid. This may lead to longer stopping distances, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. 

If the investigation leads to a recall, it could affect an estimated 1.73 million vehicles, including: 

  • 2013 – 2018 Ford Fusion
  • 2013 – 2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  • 2013 – 2018 Lincoln MKZ 
  • 2013 – 2018 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Investigation summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on August 8, 2022, following 50 complaints about brake fluid leaks and one crash allegedly caused by such a leak. The leaks are caused by the rupture of brake hoses, which transfer and multiply the force applied to the brake pedal to activate the brakes.

The investigation comes on the heels of an August 2020 recall that was conducted for the same issue and included the 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Ford Edge vehicles. The goal of the investigation is to evaluate “the adequacy” of the recall and see if the Fusion and MKZ cars need to be included as well.

Complaints

Complaints indicate that the front brake lines rupture without warning, causing a sudden brake fluid leak. Drivers have reported that the brake pedal became soft, accompanied by a noticeable drop in braking effect. One driver crashed the vehicle while trying to stop because of this failure.

Risks

A leaking brake line will affect the performance of the vehicle’s brakes. In addition, if left unchecked, this leak may result in a loss of brake fluid severe enough to render all brakes inoperable. Both situations increase the braking distance, upping the risk of a crash and injury.  

Other Ford and Lincoln recalls 

There was a Ford Edge recall in June this year due to the risk of these cars rolling away because of transmission issues. The recall also included Escape, Fusion and C-Max cars and was conducted for at least the fifth time in the past four years, as reported.

There was a Lincoln recall for Aviator SUVs due to the risk of electrical fire, also as reported.

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

This investigation may eventually lead to a Ford brake recall, possibly affecting over 1.7 million vehicles. To do a Ford recall check and see if your car might be a part of it, bookmark MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicUS government investigates Ford over brake fluid leaks
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