2020 Ford Explorer recalled for the 10th time in a single year
And this is the sixth time for the Lincoln Aviator.
The 2020 Ford Explorer has not had an easy first year of life. Neither has its platform mate, the Lincoln Aviator. On Monday, Ford issued yet another recall for both SUVs , and by the federal government's count, this is the 10th recall for the Explorer and the sixth for the Aviator. Both SUVs have only been on sale for a single model year. Ford acknowledged the Explorer's rollout didn't exactly go swimmingly in the past.
The number of SUVs involved in the recall are rather small, but still, it's another problem Ford and its service centers need to address. This time it's for potentially bad motor mounts. Over time, the motor mounts may loosen and disconnect from the engine altogether. If this happens, drivers will experience a sudden loss of power, which increases the risk of a crash. Ford said it's not aware of any crashes or injuries involving the problem, however.
A total of 1,405 Explorer and Aviator SUVs from the 2020-2021 model years are included in the recall, and owners of the batch will need to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a fix. There, a technician will replace right-hand motor mount fasteners to keep everything where it should be. Expect mailed notices to send out this coming February.
Aside from the SUVs, Ford also issued another recall for its E-Series vans equipped with the 7.3-liter V8 engine. This recall's definitely an oddball, but the automaker said the vans may not have proper insulation to keep heat away from the passenger compartment. As the big V8 produces heat, it may transfer too much to the passenger compartments near the engine and can cause burns to passengers inside. Ford said it's not aware of any injuries related to the problem.
For this issue, Ford needs to 29,344 of the vans to return to dealers where a technician will check for gaps in insulation coverage. If they do find missing insulation, the tech will install the needed insulation to keep the extra heat out of the passenger compartment. The automaker also said two features, elevated idle control and battery charge protect, can make the heat problem worse, so a tech will also update powertrain calibrations for heat management at the same time. Ford didn't release a timeline for when notices will send out, but just be careful around various parts of the cabin in the meantime.
