Almost 500,000 Vehicles Affected by Ford’s Recent Recalls

A logo of Ford is pictured on a car at the 86th International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, on Mar. 1, 2016. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse/File Photo)

Ford Motor Company announced two separate recalls this week that will affect almost 500,000 vehicles, including several car, truck, and SUV models.

The Detroit-based automaker released an alert on Aug. 31, recalling particular F-250, F-350, and F-450 pickup truck models and Lincoln Continental cars, produced from 2017 through 2020, for a total of 277,000 vehicles.

Ford said that the rearview camera lens on those models had issues with clouding, which can be a visibility hazard for the driver.

All of the vehicles in this recall also have 360-degree camera navigational systems.

Ford made another round of recalls on Sept. 1, flagging 200,000 SUV models for engine fire safety issues, covering six Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models produced from 2015 through 2017.

The company made a recall filing on Aug. 19 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reporting 25 fires caused by heating and cooling fan motor failures, which are located behind the glove box.

“The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail,” said the NHTSA in a recall notice on Aug. 26.

At least 12 of the compartment fires caused extensive damage to the SUVs, with one person reporting injuries to their hand and fingers during a blaze.

Thirteen other fires were contained to the fan motor area behind the glove box, causing little damage, while three more fires spread to surrounding structures, and another damaged nearby vehicles.

Ford dealers will replace the front blower motor assemblies and rearview cameras at no cost to owners, who will be notified via mail with instructions starting Sept. 12.

“On the heels of rampant recalls and stopping production due to quality issues, Ford Motor Company is investing in ... not better engineering, production, inspection, etc. They’re monitoring social media and hiring outside consultants, while wringing their hands at headquarters,” one commentator wrote in a tweet.

The Second Recall Over Fire Safety Issues

This is the second recent recall this year for the Ford Expedition and Navigator SUVs regarding vehicle fires.

Ford expanded a May recall in July to 66,000 of the 2021 model SUVs, after initially recalling 39,013 vehicles.

The automaker told owners in a notice to park their vehicles outdoors after the occurrence of a series of engine fires, which could begin while the ignitions were off or when actively in motion.

Sixteen of the vehicles had caught fire, resulting in one reported injury, which Ford was able to trace to printed circuit boards that were susceptible to electrical shorts.

The car company also issued a separate recall in July for certain Ford Escape, Maverick, and Lincoln Corsair models over fire hazards, according to Reuters.

In one notorious incident last November, a 2021 Ford Expedition, which an Ohio woman parked her in her home garage while her baby was in the car, caught fire and burned down the family home.

The woman and her three kids, along with her husband, were able to evacuate safely.

“I was just bawling, watching the house go with everything we owned, including baby blankets and couches that belonged to our parents, all because of a car,” said the victim, Erin Walker, in an interview with the Detroit Free Press.

Twenty-two owners of the 2021 Expedition and 2021 Lincoln Navigator SUV models filed a lawsuit in Michigan in July against Ford over the vehicle fires.

Reuters has contributed to this report.