Ford has received 21 reports of under hood fires, including five since the original recall filing.
Ford Motor Company said today that it has identified a remedy for customers affected by an under-hood fire recall on 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The company has communicated repair procedures to dealers. (AutoInformed on: NHTSA Consumer Advisory – 2021 Expedition, Navigator Fires)
Parts are still not available for some vehicles. Moreover, Ford is expanding the population to include a total of 66,221 Expedition and Navigator SUVs in the U.S. built between July 27, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021 based on further analysis of the causes for the fires. Ford has received 21 reports of under hood fires – including five since the original recall filing in May – with 18 incidents on vehicles owned by rental companies.
In any case, Ford is still advising customers to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the dealer services their vehicle for this recall action. “Vehicles may pose a risk of under hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and off.” This was the reason for the NHTSA Consumer Alert.
Dealers will first inspect the battery junction box for melting damage, and if so, will replace the entire component. They will then remove the engine fan ground wire from the battery junction box in affected vehicles with an 800-watt cooling fan system, which represents about one-third of the recalled vehicle population. This repair can be done immediately.
For the remaining affected vehicles with a 700-watt cooling fan system, the repair is the same, except for the installation of an auxiliary box with a wire jumper. Parts for this repair are expected to be available starting in early September. Customers will be notified via FordPass today, with follow-up communication to customers of vehicles with 700-watt systems when parts are available.
Ford believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by an unnamed supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Printed circuit boards produced at this facility are uniquely susceptible to a high-current short and were supplied to Ford and installed in Expedition and Navigator SUVs produced during the recall time frame.
Vehicle owners can visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is under recall,” said NHTSA. NHTSA also encourages all consumers to report any safety concerns to the agency online or by calling our Vehicle Safety Hotline (Toll-Free: 1-888-327-4236 / Hearing Impaired (TTY): 1-800-424-9153).
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Expedition, Navigator Fire Fix Found After NHTSA Alert
Ford has received 21 reports of under hood fires, including five since the original recall filing.
Ford Motor Company said today that it has identified a remedy for customers affected by an under-hood fire recall on 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The company has communicated repair procedures to dealers. (AutoInformed on: NHTSA Consumer Advisory – 2021 Expedition, Navigator Fires)
Parts are still not available for some vehicles. Moreover, Ford is expanding the population to include a total of 66,221 Expedition and Navigator SUVs in the U.S. built between July 27, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021 based on further analysis of the causes for the fires. Ford has received 21 reports of under hood fires – including five since the original recall filing in May – with 18 incidents on vehicles owned by rental companies.
In any case, Ford is still advising customers to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the dealer services their vehicle for this recall action. “Vehicles may pose a risk of under hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and off.” This was the reason for the NHTSA Consumer Alert.
Dealers will first inspect the battery junction box for melting damage, and if so, will replace the entire component. They will then remove the engine fan ground wire from the battery junction box in affected vehicles with an 800-watt cooling fan system, which represents about one-third of the recalled vehicle population. This repair can be done immediately.
For the remaining affected vehicles with a 700-watt cooling fan system, the repair is the same, except for the installation of an auxiliary box with a wire jumper. Parts for this repair are expected to be available starting in early September. Customers will be notified via FordPass today, with follow-up communication to customers of vehicles with 700-watt systems when parts are available.
Ford believes the cause of these vehicle fires can be traced to a change in manufacturing location by an unnamed supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Printed circuit boards produced at this facility are uniquely susceptible to a high-current short and were supplied to Ford and installed in Expedition and Navigator SUVs produced during the recall time frame.
Vehicle owners can visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is under recall,” said NHTSA. NHTSA also encourages all consumers to report any safety concerns to the agency online or by calling our Vehicle Safety Hotline (Toll-Free: 1-888-327-4236 / Hearing Impaired (TTY): 1-800-424-9153).
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.