Ford is not having the best year when it comes to recalls. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investing in the automaker. However, this is not a potential vehicle problem. The investigation focuses on Ford’s proposed solution to a problem.
On March 8, Ford issued recall number 23S16 (NHTSA recall number 24V-187) for a potential fuel leak. The 2022 model year Escapes and 2022 to 2023 Bronco Sports fall under the recall, which covers a total of 42,652 vehicles. The automaker says a fuel injector could crack on models using the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine. If this happens, a fuel leak could develop in the head and potentially start a fire. NHTSA documents indicate Ford is aware of five engine compartment fires and 14 warranty replacements of faulty injectors.
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Given the nature of the problem, one would think that a simple solution would be to inspect and replace the fuel injectors. But that’s not part of Ford’s current plan. Instead, reminder 23S16 states the following:
“Dealers will update engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in April 2024. Owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.”.
Additional documentation from NHTSA provides a more detailed description:
“Updated engine control software will be installed to detect a drop in fuel rail pressure, provide an instrument cluster message to the customer to request service, invoke a strategy to disable the high-pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power, and reduce temperatures of possible ignition sources in the engine compartment.
A drain tube will also be installed to allow fuel to flow from the cylinder head drain hole, away from surfaces that could trigger combustion, to the ground beneath the vehicle.
Now the federal government is questioning whether the automaker is taking enough steps to adequately remedy a situation that could be very dangerous. NHTSA Action Number RQ24008 was opened on April 11, identifying the aforementioned recall and stating that it does not require replacement of cracked fuel injectors. The notice concludes by saying “ODI is opening the Recall Request (RQ) to evaluate the adequacy and safety implications of the remedy described in Recall 24V-187.”
Ford’s recall takes steps to help prevent a fire in the event of a leak, but makes no mention of preventing leaks in the first place. Additionally, the recall specifically refers to the drain tube directing fuel “to the ground beneath the vehicle,” which may or may not raise eyebrows from an environmental standpoint.
We’ve reached out to Ford for comment on the recall and NHTSA’s investigation. We will update the post if additional information becomes available.
