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.
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.
