Ford Recalls 39,000 Expedition, Navigator SUVs for Engine Fires
What's happening
Ford has issued a recall for 39,000 examples of the 2021 Ford Expedition and 2021 Lincoln Navigator.
Why it matters
A potential engine fire is a serious issue for vehicle owners.
What's next
Ford is working to determine the cause and implement a remedy, but it's unclear how long that may take.
There's no such thing as being too safe when engine fires are a possibility. Not only for the automakers, who must act fast to get a remedy in place, but also for owners, who need to be mindful of any potential issues that may arise until the fix is in. Taking that into consideration, Ford's latest recall is a serious one, and owners should take heed.
Ford this week issued a recall for 39,013 large SUVs. This includes both the 2021 Ford Expedition, as well as half-sibling, the 2021 Lincoln Navigator. The vehicles in question carry build dates between Dec. 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. While the recall is expansive, according to documents filed with NHTSA, it's estimated that roughly 1% of the SUVs in this recall contain the defect.
The problem comes from the engine bay. While Ford has not yet determined the cause of the problem, the automaker received 16 reports of engine fires in Expedition and Navigator SUVs. Of those reports, 14 came from rental companies, with the remaining two reports coming from owners. Twelve of the reports refer to the vehicle being off when the fire was discovered, and three involved the vehicle in motion.
Given the severity of the issue, Ford recommends that the full slate of potentially affected vehicles be parked outside and away from any structures. However, the automaker hasn't yet recommended that owners stop driving their vehicles entirely. Thankfully, the company is not aware of any accidents related to the recall, but it did receive one report of possible injury.
Since Ford is still working to determine the cause of the engine fires, there's no established remedy for them yet. Ford will notify owners of affected vehicles using both traditional snail mail and its FordPass and Lincoln Way apps. Owners should also be able to call their dealer to see if any additional information is available.
