A Ford cracked fuel injector recall involves more than 634,000 Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles following at least 20 fires, three that caused nearby buildings to catch fire.
The Ford fuel injector recall, which includes about 522,000 vehicles in the U.S., was issued after four injuries were reported.
The cracked fuel injector recall includes 2020-2023 Ford Escape and 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sport SUVs equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L engines.
According to Ford, a cracked fuel injector may leak fuel inside the engine compartment. An engine compartment fire can occur if fuel leaks onto a hot ignition source. The automaker said four owners discovered the fires within five minutes of shutting down the engines.
All the recalled Ford Escapes and Ford Bronco Sports equipped with 1.5L engines were previously recalled in April, but apparently the recall repairs didn't work. Ford was trying to find a cause of engine fires and engineers suspected the engine oil separator housings could crack and develop oil leaks.
At the time, Ford said the Escapes and Bronco Sports could suffer from cracks at the edges of the oil separator housings which caused the seals to fail. This could cause oil to leak between the oil separator and engine camshaft cover.
Even after the previous recall repairs and months of investigating, Ford says the "root cause is still under investigation." However, engineers do know a cracked fuel injector will allow a lot of fuel to quickly leak into the cylinder head.
According to the cracked fuel injector recall, Ford Escape and Bronco Sport owners don't need to stop driving the vehicles. But customers should be aware of fuel odors, gas leaking from under the engine compartments, and of course seeing smoke or flames isn't a good sign.
Customers with concerns about repairing the vehicles should ask their Ford dealers about loaner vehicles and other free services.
“Once the repair is available, we will ask customers to schedule service with their preferred dealer. They can then take advantage of our complimentary pickup and delivery or a loaner to make sure the repair is completed at their earliest convenience," Ford said.
Ford fuel injector recall letters will be mailed Dec. 19.
Ford will update the engine control software to detect a pressure drop in the fuel rail and provide a warning message to have the vehicle serviced. A dealer will also install a drain tube to allow fuel to drain from the cylinder head drain hole onto the ground below the vehicle.
This will allegedly keep gas away from hot surfaces that could start a fire.
Owners of 2021-2023 Bronco Sports and 2020-2023 Escapes may learn more about the fuel injector recall by calling Ford at 866-436-7332.
Ask about fuel injector recall reference number 22S73.
Abby Andrews