Ford Motor Co. issued six separate recalls on Aug. 9 covering roughly 200,000 vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Recalled models include the Ford Explorer for the risk of engine fires, as well as the Ranger, Maverick, Bronco Sport, Transit, Mustang Mach-E and Lincoln Nautilus.
Ford has now issued 43 separate recalls in 2024, according to the NHTSA, which potentially includes up to 3.8 million vehicles, making it the automaker with the most recalls this year.
Here’s a list of the recalls issued this month by Ford.
2020-2022 Explorer
The largest of the six recalls potentially includes 85,238 model year 2020-2022 Explorer models equipped with the Police Interceptor Utility Package. These vehicles are equipped with 3.3-liter hybrid and gas engines, which are prone to engine failures, according to the NHTSA report.
If engine failure occurs the engine block may be breached, which can result in oil or fuel vapor being released under the hood and increase the risk of fire.
According to the NHTSA report, breached engine blocks on these models could be caused by connecting rod fractures, which leads to crankshaft alignment concerns. Ford however, has not identified a single specific root cause for the connecting rod failures in these vehicles, meaning no remedy is currently available.
In the interim, Ford dealers will update the powertrain control module software on the Explorer models.
2024 Ranger and 2024 Lincoln Nautilus
The recall of 70,483 model year 2024 Ford Ranger and Lincoln Nautilus models is for a problem with the global closing feature for the power windows, which may fail to reverse when detecting an object. An estimated 100% of these vehicles are suspected of having the defect.
The door module control software version used in these vehicles was taken out of production on July 15.
2023-2024 Maverick, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport and Mustang Mach-E
Ford is recalling 37,371 model year 2023-2024 Mavericks, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport and Mustang Mach-E vehicles for windshield wiper motors that could fail. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
In some of the vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may be missing sealer between the gear cover and housing designed to prevent water intrusion, which can cause the motor to become inoperable, leading to a loss of visibility in the rain. The wiper motors were supplied by Bosch.
Ford is aware of 81 global warranty reports as a result of water intrusion, the first of which was received on July 26, 2023, according to the NHTSA report.
The 2024 Mustang
The recall of 4,595 2024 Mustang models is for “casting imperfections” of the rear suspension knuckle, which can cause the part to fail. The problem can lead to a loss of vehicle handling and steering control.
The suspension knuckles were supplied by North Carolina-based casting company Citic Dicastal Co. According to the NHTSA report, during production of these suspension components, a debris filter may have been improperly positioned during the manufacturing process, allowing slag to enter the part cavity, which led to casting imperfections.
The defect potentially affects Mustang models built between July 25, 2023, and Sept. 15, 2023. As of Aug. 2, Ford is aware of two reports of vehicles with a fractured or cracked rear suspension knuckle, but it’s not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect.
The 2023-2024 Transit
The recall of 2023 and 2024 model year Ford Transits is related to an incorrect bolt used to secure the steering column intermediate shaft to the steering gear pinion shaft. The recall potentially affects 1,902 Transits equipped with the optional Transit Trail package.
Transit models with this package have higher ground clearance, which requires modification in order to install the vehicle’s body lift kit. The modification included the use of a substitute bolt to attach a steering column with a longer intermediate shaft coupling and steering gear pinion shaft.
Ford determined that there is a potential for stripped threads and bolt breakage, causing the bolt to loosen over time, which can lead to the separation of steering components and cause a loss of vehicle control. The bolt was first used in production on March 15, 2022, and was taken out of production on March 6, 2024.
2022 Ford Maverick
The second recall of 757 Maverick trucks is for certain 2022 models that were included in a previous recall of 456,565 vehicles in April. The original recall was to address an issue related to the powertrain and body control modules, in which the calibrations may fail to detect a sudden change in the vehicle’s 12-volt battery state of charge. The problem can lead to a loss of electrical accessories or drive power.
Ford discovered that some of the 2022 Mavericks previously recalled may still have an issue where the body and powertrain control modules may fail to detect a change in the battery state of charge. These vehicles did not receive the remedy for the recall in April.
