The Scary Reason Ford Just Recalled Thousands Of SUVs

Ford has issued a recall for 39,013 Navigator and Expedition SUVs due to a fire safety risk. In an official statement, the company notes that the units eligible for the recall "pose a risk of under hood fire." What's odd — and truly astonishing — is the fact that the fire risk remains present regardless of whether the engine is off and the vehicle is parked. 

As such, Ford has asked owners of the aforementioned SUVs to park their vehicle outside so that it doesn't burn down their garage or nearby cars in a parking lot. Moreover, owners of the affected SUVs have been asked to park their vehicles away from buildings citing fire risks. Based on complaints filed before the NHTSA and Ford's own investigations, the fire usually starts at the back of the engine compartment covering the vehicle's passenger area.

Ford says they are yet to zero in on the specific cause of the hood inferno risk in their SUVs. So far, there have been 16 reported cases of Navigator and Expedition vehicles catching fire, but the company only started to investigate them in March of 2022. A few weeks ago, Ford also recalled over 730,000 SUVs and pickup trucks over fire risks.

Ford says that the vehicles affected by this recall are its Expedition and Navigator SUVs in the U.S. built between December 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Owners of the aforementioned models are encouraged by Ford to go to the NHTSA.gov/recalls webpage and submit their 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN number) to check if their vehicle is affected by the recall. Vehicle owners can also opt to call Ford's toll-free line (1-866-436-7332) for details.

It is worth noting that 14 out of the 16 incidents in which the aforementioned vehicles caught fire involved SUVs owned by rental companies. Ford says that owners reported that their vehicle was parked and turned off in 12 out of 16 cases, three fires started while the vehicle was turned on and driving, and one fire started when the vehicle was parked, but the engine was still running. In addition to a public release to the press, Ford will be reaching out to the affected user base via email and messages within the FordPass and Lincoln Way apps.

Even though there's only been one reported incident of a customer getting injured, Ford hasn't asked users to stop driving their Navigator and Expedition SUVs. Ford has advised all affected vehicle owners to get in touch with their nearest dealership and get their vehicles assessed for fire risks.