The U.S. government's auto safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has launched an investigation into a recent Ford recall due to gasoline leaks from cracked fuel injectors that can lead to engine fires. The agency's concern stems from the fact that the remedy provided by Ford does not actually fix the leaks. The recall affects nearly 43,000 Ford Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, all equipped with 1.5-liter engines.
According to NHTSA documents posted on Friday, the fuel injectors in these vehicles can crack, causing gasoline or vapors to leak onto hot engine surfaces. Ford's solution to this issue involves adding a drain tube to redirect the gas away from hot areas and a software update to detect pressure drops in the fuel injection system. If a drop in pressure is detected, the software will disable the high-pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power, and lower temperatures in the engine compartment. Owners will also receive a "seek service" message.
However, the U.S. government has raised concerns about Ford's fix, stating that it allows fuel to drain from a cylinder head hole to the ground below the vehicles, without actually replacing the cracked fuel injectors. Ford has reported five under-hood fires and 14 warranty replacements of fuel injectors related to this issue, but claims there have been no crashes or injuries as a result.
Ford has stated that it is cooperating with NHTSA on the investigation and is confident that the recall repairs will prevent further failures and protect customers. The company plans to extend warranty coverage for cracked fuel injectors and will provide details on the extended warranty in June. This recall is an extension of a previous 2022 recall for the same problem, and Ford has already tested the repairs on vehicles involved in the previous recall without any reported issues.
Despite the concerns raised by safety advocates like Michael Brooks, who called Ford's remedy a "Band-aid type recall," Ford maintains that the repairs are sufficient to address the issue. NHTSA has stated that it will closely monitor the performance of the recall fixes using field data and urges owners with questions to contact their dealership or Ford directly.
