Ford Motor Company will urge owners of 2020-2023 MY Bronco Sport and Escapes with 3-cylinder, 1.5L engines to visit their dealership to inspect for a potential cracked fuel injector.

When the engine is operating, a cracked fuel injector could cause fuel and/or fuel vapor to accumulate near hot surfaces, resulting in a potential under hood fire.

“Taking care of our customers who are affected by this potential issue is our utmost priority,” said Jim Azzouz, Executive Director, Global CX Products & Customer Relations. “Once the repair is available, we will ask customers to schedule service with their preferred dealer.  They can then take advantage of our complimentary pickup and delivery or a loaner to make sure the repair is completed at their earliest convenience.”

Ford is taking steps to minimize the inconvenience for customers, including providing an option to arrange for free pick-up, repair and delivery, in addition to owners taking vehicles themselves to Ford dealers.

Ford will:

Update the engine control software. To detect whether the fuel injector is cracked and, if so, provide a dashboard message to customers to seek service.

Additionally, if a pressure drop in the fuel rail is detected, engine power will automatically be reduced to minimize any risk, while also allowing customers to drive to a safe locations, and stop the vehicle and arrange for service.

Install a tube that drains fuel from the cylinder head and away from hot surfaces, and check for excessive fuel odor near the top of the engine, another indicator of a possible issue.

Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving vehicles under this recall.

This recall affects 518,993 vehicles in the United States. Ford is projecting a low failure rate for fuel injectors experiencing external leak(s) at 15 years/150,000 miles