Ford has issued a recall for nearly 43,000 small SUVs in the US due to fuel injectors cracking and potentially causing gasoline leaks, posing a fire hazard. The affected models include certain Bronco Sport SUVs and Escape SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years.
According to Ford, the fuel injectors can crack, leading to gasoline or vapor accumulating near ignition sources, which could result in fires. The company will install a tube to redirect the leaked gasoline away from hot surfaces and update the engine control software to prevent pressure drops in the fuel injection system.
Although Ford has reported five under-hood fires and 14 warranty replacements of fuel injectors, there have been no crashes or injuries linked to the issue. The company believes that the recall repairs will prevent further incidents and protect customers from potential harm.
While Ford is not replacing the fuel injectors as part of the recall, it will extend warranty coverage for cracked injectors, ensuring affected owners receive replacements. The company has already made repairs available, with details of the extended warranty to be released in June.
The recall is an extension of a previous 2022 recall for the same issue, with Ford stating that the repair has been successfully tested on vehicles involved in the earlier recall. The company clarifies that there is no evidence of fires occurring when the vehicles are parked with the engines off.
However, Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, criticized Ford’s approach to the recall, calling it a “Band-aid type recall” to avoid the expense of replacing the fuel injectors. He believes that a 1% failure rate is significant, and drivers may still be at risk of crashes even with the remediation measures in place.
