Ford recalls nearly 700,000 vehicles in the US due to fuel leak issues that could lead to fires, the automaker announced.
The recall includes the 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sports and the 2020-2022 Ford Escape Vehicle.
According to Ford, the fuel injection system may be smashing fuel in the engine compartment and leaking. Ford said in its NHTSA filing dated July 11th that fuel fuel or fuel vapor could ignite, increasing the risk of injury.
“This safety recall replaces the previous recall and includes a new remedy for this issue that is currently under development and is expected to be finalized in the near future,” Ford said in a July 16 statement to USA Today.
Ford also recalls vehicles produced with these previously unrecalled injectors, and said the company is not aware of any injuries related to under-hood fires associated with cracked fuel injection devices.
The recalled model is part of another recall in late June, as the rear camera could break down, which could increase the risk of a crash. The company provided free software updates in that case.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Recall no. 25v467000, and how Ford handles it.
How many vehicles have been recalled?
According to a Ford spokesperson, the recall includes 687,000 and 694,271 vehicles in the US, counting US territory such as Samoa and Puerto Rico.
The affected vehicles include:
- 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sports Vehicle (manufactured between February 5, 2020 and February 8, 2024)
- 2020-2022 Ford Escape Vehicle (manufactured from November 19, 2018 to December 16, 2022)
What led to the recall?
Ford previously issued notices in November 2022 and March 2024 to address the risk of hood-under fires due to escape with a 1.5-liter Dragon GTDI engine and fuel leakage from cracked injectors on Bronco Sports vehicles.
Ford attempted to update the engine control software to fix the issue so that it could detect crack fuel injection devices and lower the temperature that could potentially be reduced from the source of the ignition. The treatment also included adding tubes to allow fuel to be discharged from surfaces that could lead to fire.
On April 11, 2024, the NHTSA opened a recall query to determine the “reasonability and safety impact” of previous treatments, Ford said. The NHTSA did not believe that the fix had reached the root cause of the problem.
Ford worked to respond to the NHTSA for the next few months, then on July 23, 2024, Ford’s Key Concern Review Group began investigating vehicles that had fires under the hood after receiving the update. Ford began testing the vehicle and found out there was a cracked injector leading to the fire. The company spent the next nine months inspecting vehicles that had experienced a fire under their head after receiving the update.
According to Ford, the company also said the injectors were cracked in eight vehicles that had fires at the bottom. Of these, six people had no updates to the engine control software.
“Ford is aware that there are no claims of injuries related to these (8) fires,” the company said.
On March 7, 2025, Ford approved another remedy to address a subset of vehicles that did not properly receive the software portion of the update.
What if I have one of these vehicles?
Ford notified the dealer about the issue on July 15th, saying that the owner’s notification letter should begin mailing on August 18th, 2025. The owner is instructed to bring the vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer and to update the engine control software for free.
Some drivers already have received the update so they don’t need to bring their vehicles in, Ford said. The company will let you know if these drivers need an update. Owners can also search the vehicle’s identification number online to see what the recall applies to the vehicle.
According to Ford, the company will notify the owner by mail when the final fix is in progress and a free solution is available.
Contributor: Natalie Neisa Aland, USA Today
Saleen Martin is a reporter for the USA Today Now team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – 757. Email her to sdmartin@usatoday.com.
