Ford SUVs and Pickups Recalled for Fire Risks

Some Ford sport utility vehicles and pickups are at risk of going up in flames, the automaker recently told federal car safety regulators.

Ford is recalling more than 125,000 hybrid and plug-in Escape SUVs, Maverick pickups and Lincoln Corsair SUVs over the issue. The company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the vehicles’ engines could leak fluids and catch fire.

“Affected vehicles have 2.5L HEV/PHEV engines that could fail prematurely,” Ford said in a defect notice filed with NHTSA. “In the event of an engine failure, significant quantities of engine oil and/or fuel vapor may be released into the under hood environment and may migrate to and/or accumulate near ignition sources resulting in potential under hood fire, localized melting of components, or smoke.”

The recall covers model year 2020 through 2023 Escapes, 2022 through 2023 Maverick models and 2021 through 2023 Corsairs.

“Engine oil and/or fuel vapor that accumulates near a sufficiently hot surface, below the combustion initiation flame speed, may ignite resulting in an under hood fire, and increasing the risk of injury,” Ford added in the defect notice.

The company said it planned to notify owners of recalled vehicles by mid-June. The problem, however, is that Ford has yet to come up with an actual fix for the issue.

“The service remedy is currently being developed and expected to be available in the third quarter of 2023,” Ford told NHTSA. “Owners of vehicles will be notified by mail that Ford’s investigation is ongoing and they will be contacted when further information is available.”

Ford Owners and Lessors: Know Your California Lemon Law Rights

Major automakers call back millions of vehicles every year, citing a wide range of defects and malfunctions that pose serious safety risks. Ford is a frequent flier when it comes to these recalls.

The company issued more recalls than any other auto manufacturer last year.

Ford announced a total of 67 separate recalls in 2022, NHTSA data show, far surpassing the 45 recalls by the next closest manufacturer, Volkswagen.

More recently, Ford said it was calling back some 15,000 Fusion PHEVs that could lose power and catch fire unexpectedly. The move came after Ford said in March that it was recalling 175,000 Bronco sport utility vehicles over malfunctioning seatbelts. 

There is some good news for Ford owners and lessors in California: You have some valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The California lemon law requires carmakers to perform various repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces the manufacturers to buy back covered vehicles that they are not able to or refuse to fix. 

A car manufacturer can instead offer to replace the vehicle, but it is up to the owner to decide whether to accept or reject this alternative arrangement. 

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.