More than 30,000 Ford vehicles have been recalled over fears that they could burst into flames on the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned that two popular vehicles have a cracked fuel injector problem that could cause gas to catch fire around the engine.
The recall includes the 2020-2022 Ford Escape and 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sport.
This isn’t the first warning about the injector problem. NHTSA officials noted that the 33,576 vehicles were actually part of two previous recalls, which did not correctly fix the damage.
The fuel injector is a key piece of any gas-powered automobile, acting as a tiny sprinkler that sprays gasoline into the car’s engine.
When this part is cracked, gas can start dripping into other parts of the engine, which can be extremely hot when the car is running.
If the engine parts being sprayed with gas are too hot or if there is even a tiny spark from the car’s electrical systems, the gasoline could ignite and start a blaze.
Drivers affected by the recall will receive a notice in the mail around April 24. Ford will be fixing the cracks, plus updating each car’s powertrain control module software free of charge.
For the 33,576 drivers impacted by the recall, putting off those repairs could be an extremely dangerous mistake.
A fuel injector is essential to making a car run smoothly, by providing just the right amount of gasoline to the engine at the exact right time.
Combustion engines need a mixture of air and gas to burn in order to create power. That controlled fire inside the car pushes the pistons and gets the wheels moving.
When someone says ‘give it some gas,’ they’re literally saying spray more gasoline from the injector into the engine so they go faster.
This is all controlled by the vehicle’s computer in modern cars, which tells the injector how much gas to spray into the engine and when to do it.
That’s also why Ford will update the software for this system as well when drivers bring in their cars.
A crack in the fuel injector can have the same effect as poking a hole in a garden hose.
The crack in Ford’s injectors is allowing fuel to leak into areas of the car that shouldn’t be exposed to gasoline.
Certain parts of the engine can reach anywhere from 300°F to 800°F, creating a dangerous environment for the leaking fuel.
Gasoline doesn’t even need a spark to ignite. If the temperature reaches 495°F to 536°F, gasoline can undergo a process called autoignition and burst into flames on its own.
So, even if the electrical system is fine and nothing sparks, a fire could still break out if the leaking gas lands in the wrong place outside the engine.
Gasoline is extremely flammable, so the problem could start small and then spread fast as more gas leaks from the cracked injector, potentially engulfing an entire car in fire.
Tight spaces that still have air flow, like under the hood of a car, can feed fires rapidly.
The latest recall adds to a growing list for the $38 billion Ford Motor Company, which recently pulled over a quarter-million vehicles from the road.
In January, Ford recalled 272,817 vehicles throughout the US over new battery failure concerns.
That recall also included 2021-2023 Bronco Sports and 2022-2023 Maverick trucks.
Officials warned that the vehicles’ 12-volt battery may experience degradation and suddenly fail, which can result in a loss of electrical features, including the hazard lights.
Just weeks before that, on December 31, the motor company recalled certain Ford Escapes and luxury Lincoln Corsair vehicles from 2020 to 2024 due to more battery concerns.
As for the new fuel injector recall, any driver concerned their car may be affected can call Ford at 1-866-436-7332 and mention recall number 25S21.
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