Ford engine failure probe expands to 700K+ vehicles
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) on Monday said that it has expanded its probe into Ford Motor Co. engine failures to include more than 700,000 vehicles.
In documents posted Monday, the agency revealed it is upgrading the investigation to an engineering analysis, which is one step closer to a recall.
This now will cover the model years between 2021 and 2022 and includes the F-150 pickup truck, as well as Explorer, Bronco and Edge SUVs and Lincoln Nautilus and Aviator SUVs.
The agency stated that under “normal driving conditions without warning the vehicle may experience a loss of motive power without restart due to catastrophic engine failure” due to a potential faulty valve in 2.7 and 3 liter EcoBoost engines.
“During the investigation, multiple contributing factors were identified which can lead to the fracturing of the intake valves in the subject engines. Ford acknowledged that a fractured intake valve can result in catastrophic engine failure and a loss of motive power and noted that following a valve fracture, a vehicle typically requires a full engine replacement,” NHTSA documents stated.
Ford told the agency that there have been 328 customer complaints, 487 warranty claims and 809 engine exchanges related to those vehicles. In a statement to The Hill, a Ford spokesperson said the company Is “working with NHTSA to support their investigation.”
This comes months after Ford announced that it was recalling more than 140,000 of its vehicles over the risk that their battery monitor sensor could overheat and possibly catch fire.
