Ford SUV Fires Triggers Warning To Park These Models Outside

Less than a week ago, we reported about Tesla issuing a recall for more than 130,000 vehicles. This recall was caused by a software glitch resulting in some Tesla cars' infotainment systems overheating. Today, it's the turn of another major American carmaker — Ford — to issue a product recall that affects two popular SUV models made by the company.

According to documents made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford is issuing the recall to make consumers aware of a potential fire hazard. The recall affects more than 39,000 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs manufactured in 2021. According to Ford, some of these vehicles could be affected by a defect potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire. What is also alarming is that Ford has still not been able to isolate the cause of these fires. In the documents submitted to the NHTSA, the company asserts that all of the fire seems to have originated in the vicinity of the passenger side rear engine.

Meanwhile, according to an NBC News report, Ford took the call to issue a recall after 16 instances of fires were reported, potentially caused by this defect. While there have been no fatalities linked to this problem, one passenger reported burn injuries. Also pertinent to note is that the issue seems to overwhelmingly affect rental company vehicles compared to privately owned ones.

Even as Ford continues to investigate the issue and starts working on a permanent fix, the company has issued guidelines to all the SUV owners affected by this recall. The first thing that Ford mentions is to park the potentially affected vehicles outside, preferably away from other vehicles and structures. This is because initial investigations by the company revealed that in many of the reported fires, the ignition switch was in the "off" position when the fire started. In three instances, the fire occurred even as the vehicle was in motion, and passengers reported a burning smell from the front passenger engine compartment.

Initial investigations also revealed that all 16 vehicles that were known to have been affected by this issue were manufactured between December 19, 2020, and April 20, 2021. Ford also confirmed that investigations into these fires began in March 2022 and continued through April, resulting in this product recall in May 2022.

If you own one of these 2021 Ford or Lincoln-made vehicles and are worried about this issue affecting your vehicle, it would be best if you contact Ford's toll-free line (1-866-436-7332) or simply reach out to a local Ford or Lincoln dealer.