DETROIT – Ford is expanding the recall of SUVs and asking owners to park them outside after a series of engine fires that can happen even when the ignition switch is turned off.
The company also announced on Friday that it is recalling another 100,000 SUVs in the US for a separate problem that caused an engine fire.
In May, Ford recalled about 39,000 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator large SUVs in the US and asked owners to park them outside and away from buildings. On Friday, the company expanded that recall to cover more than 66,000 vehicles from the 2021 model year after receiving reports of five more fires.
At the time of the first recall, Ford did not know what caused the fire. But on Friday, the company said it had discovered the cause of printed circuit boards that are susceptible to power outages. The company says it has reports of 21 fires and one injured, but no reports of the fire spreading to buildings.
Circuit boards are part of the battery junction box. Dealers will check the box for melt damage and replace it if necessary. They will also remove or repair the cooling fan ground wire that connects to the junction box. Parts are expected to be available in early September.
Other recalls include the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs as well as some Ford Maverick small pickups from 2020 to 2022. All have 2.5-liter hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains.
Vehicle Recall:Find out if your car is on the list
:Ford has recalled 2.9 million vehicles that
caught fire from GM, Honda, Porsche, Volvo Ford. The company says it has 23 reports of fires around the world while the engines are on, but there have been no casualties.
Engine failures can occur due to a crankshaft machining problem. That problem has been fixed in production, but the recalled vehicles may have it.
Recall repair does not resolve an engine failure. Ford said in a statement that engine failures are rare, with 0.17 repairs per 1,000 vehicles.
Dealers will add drain holes to an under-hood shield and replace the active grille shutters to allow more air flow and reduce under-hood temperatures to below the ignition point of fuel vapor or engine oil.
