(Reuters) -Ford is recalling 694,271 crossover SUVs in the United States due to a fuel leak issue that could increase the risk of a fire, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday, following a year-long investigation.
The NHTSA said fuel injectors in affected vehicles may crack, causing fuel to leak into the engine compartment and potentially ignite. Drivers may notice a strong fuel smell inside or outside the vehicle, dashboard warnings, smoke, or visible flames.
The recall covers certain 2021–2024 Bronco Sport and 2020–2022 Escape models equipped with 1.5-litre engines. The NHTSA estimates that 0.3% of recalled vehicles may have the defect.
“We estimate the aggregate cost of the action, based on the remedy options we are evaluating, to be about $570 million and will be reflected in our second quarter 2025 results,” Ford said.
Wednesday’s action expands on previous recalls from 2022 and 2024, which provided software updates but did not replace the potentially faulty injectors.
The fuel injectors were supplied by Italy-based Dumarey Flowmotion Technologies, according to the recall report.
Ford’s interim fix includes a software update designed to detect a leaking injector, reduce engine power, and shut off fuel delivery. The company is still developing a final mechanical remedy.
An internal committee initially recommended the software update and an additional drain tube to redirect fuel away from ignition sources. At that time, about 42,000 vehicles were covered.
In 2024, the NHTSA opened a recall query to evaluate the adequacy of Ford’s remedy, adding that the proposed fix did not address the root cause of the issue.
After reassessment, Ford reported this month that it found cracked fuel injectors in eight vehicles that experienced under-hood fires, despite having undergone repairs. Six of these vehicles did not have the updated engine software the company previously recommended.
The latest recall includes vehicles previously repaired under earlier campaigns, as well as newer models built with the same engine and updated software.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru, Additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
