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Ford Recalls Vehicles Due to Under-Hood Fire Risk

The recall affects some Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs and some Maverick small pickups.

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Close-up of a Ford logo on the front of a vehicle.
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Ford Motor Co. is reportedly recalling 100,000 vehicles -- some Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs and some Maverick small pickups -- because of a risk of under-hood fires. It's also expanding an earlier recall of Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because of a different problem that can cause under-hood fires, even when those vehicles are parked and turned off.

Some 2020 through 2022 model year Escapes, Lincoln Corsairs and Mavericks with 2.5-liter hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains are affected by the recall. If the engine fails in these cars, fuel and oil vapor can leak onto hot parts and catch fire, according to media reports Friday.

Ford will reportedly notify owners of the affected Escapes, Lincoln Corsairs and Mavericks beginning Aug. 8, and Ford dealers will address the problem by making alterations that lower under-hood temperatures to a safe level. Globally, there have been 23 reports of fires while engines were on, but no injuries, the company reportedly said about the new recall.

Ford also expanded an earlier recall of Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, saying in a release Friday that owners should park them outside and away from structures. The company said it's gotten 21 reports of under-hood fires, including five since the earlier recall. It said it was aware of one reported injury.

Both Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have pages where you can check to see if your vehicle is affected by a recall.

The expansion of the earlier recall covers just over 66,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs in the United States manufactured between July 27, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021. The earlier Ford SUV recall, in May, applied to just over 39,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigators with a 2021 model year and build dates between Dec. 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. 

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Ford said it thinks it's identified the source of the problem with the Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.

The company "believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by a supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic," it said in its release. "Printed circuit boards produced at this facility are uniquely susceptible to a high-current short and were supplied to Ford and installed in Expedition and Navigator SUVs produced during the recall window."

The company said it expects parts to be available for a repair beginning in early September. It said it began contacting customers on Friday about the repair.

Ford couldn't immediately be reached for additional comment.