Ford is recalling 520,000 Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs

CNN
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Ford has announced another SUV recall, this time affecting approximately 520,000 Ford Escape and Bronco Sport compacts in the United States. According to Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, potential cracks in vehicles’ fuel lines can lead to under-the-hood fires in some cars.

A total of 634,000 of the SUVs are being recalled worldwide because of the problem, the company said.

In particular, some 2022-2023 and 2021-2023 Bronco Sports Escapes equipped with the 3-cylinder 1.5-liter turbocharged engine may crack the fuel injector. This could cause fuel or fuel vapor to escape over hot parts of the vehicle and start a fire.

Ford is not suggesting that owners stop driving their vehicles. The company expects the problem to only occur in a very small percentage of vehicles. The company said it was aware of 20 fires that appear to be linked to this new problem.

Some of these SUVs were involved in a previous recall that also included the possibility of a fire. This recall, announced in March, involved a potential Leak that could get oil into places in the car where it could catch fire.

The majority of the vehicles involved in this earlier recall had the work required to fix this issue, according to the company. However, that doesn’t mean they’re protected from the issue in this final recall.

As part of the new recall, Ford dealers will install a software update that will detect a potentially cracked injector. If a cracked injector is detected, a warning light will illuminate on the vehicle’s dashboard and engine performance will be reduced. This allows the driver to find a safe place to pull over, pull over and call for service, Ford said.

Ford dealers will also install a hose that directs spilled fuel to the ground and away from hot surfaces in the car. The necessary work will be carried out free of charge for the owners of the SUVs.

Ford said it arranges for dealers to offer free pickup and drop-off of the vehicles for any repair work needed. Owners can too bring their vehicles to the dealer themselves.

The Ford Bronco Sport shares much of its technology with the Ford Escape. It’s unrelated to the larger Ford Bronco, a more truck-like SUV that’s a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler.