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Ford Faces Major Recall for Explorer SUVs
- Approximately 85,000 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles have been recalled.
- This marks Ford’s third significant recall in just one month, affecting millions of vehicles.
- The manufacturer is currently dealing with ongoing quality challenges.
In its latest setback, Ford has recalled over 85,000 police vehicles due to potential hazards linked to engine fires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced this recall in a recent notice, specifying that it pertains to the 2020-2022 model years of the Explorers equipped with the Police Interceptor Utility Package.
The NHTSA memo indicated that ”in circumstances where an engine fails, oil and fuel vapors may escape into the engine compartment and accumulate around ignition sources like heated engine components or exhaust parts. This can potentially lead to a fire within the engine compartment.”
A safety report highlighted that as of July 9th, there had been 13 recorded instances of “under-hood fires occurring in North America due to breaches within the engine block on Explorer PIU models featuring 3.3L engines made prior to June 2nd, 2022.”
Ford confirmed through its safety documentation that no accidents or injuries associated with this issue have been reported thus far.
The automaker and representatives from NHTSA did not immediately respond when Business Insider sought comments regarding these developments.
David Zalubowski
A Series of Recalls Amid Financial Strain
This recall adds another chapter to what has already proven to be a challenging year for Ford. Despite reporting a net income of $1.8 billion during Q2, the company acknowledged in their earnings release published in July that heightened warranty reserves adversely affected profit margins. For just this quarter alone, they incurred $2.3 billion related to warranties and recall expenses according to The Associated Press.
Since January, when they initiated recalls on over two million Explorer SUVs due to issues with trim retention clips, additional recalls followed suit: In June alone saw over half a million F-150 pickup trucks recalled due sudden gear shifts; shortly after another recall was issued for certain model Mustangs due concerns about unintended steering wheel rotation.
Mere weeks ago in August’s opening days came another wave with nearly 5,000 Mustang cars called back owing rear suspension risks followed by warnings across more than374 thousand vehicles fitted indeed Takata airbags listed among recalls yet unrepaired – these were classified as ‘Do Not Drive.’
Commitment Towards Enhancing Quality Standards
Kumar Galhotra—Ford’s Chief Operating Officer—expressed optimism regarding addressing existing quality challenges earlier this year: “We’re starting see indicators of improvement particularly seen via new product launches scheduled upcoming later months.” It further noted proactive pursuits aimed at cost reductions totaling $2 billion across multiple sectors including materials management manufacturing procurement practices just getting underway.”
