Ford Recalls 90,736 Vehicles Due to Engine Intake Valve Failure Risk, NHTSA Reports

Ford Motor Company recently announced a recall affecting 90,736 vehicles due to a potential issue with the engine intake valves. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed this on Saturday. The recall specifically impacts 2021-2022 models of the Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator, all equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine.

Potential Safety Hazard

According to documents from the automaker and posted by the NHTSA, there is a risk that "the engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power." This poses a significant safety hazard for drivers and passengers.

Incidents and Investigation

The recall follows an investigation that commenced in January 2022, during which Ford discovered 22 instances of "the engine intake valves fractured and fell into the combustion chamber of the engine causing catastrophic engine damage.

As a result of this investigation, Ford's analysis identified the potential root cause of the failures as engine intake valve failure due to valves exceeding the designed specification for hardness, being brittle, and having a higher likelihood of fracturing. This issue was traced back to the supplier's grinding processes and the sensitivity of the intake valve material to grinding processes that were not within control specifications. To address this, Ford changed the intake valve material for vehicles produced after October 31, 2021.

Remedial Action

To address the issue, Ford has determined that it will be necessary to replace the entire engine in affected vehicles. Dealers will inspect each vehicle to ascertain its cumulative number of engine cycles. For those vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles as part of a service procedure. Vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation will need their engines replaced.

Similar Recalls

The automotive industry has witnessed similar recalls in recent times. For instance, the NHTSA has also closed two preliminary probes into Fisker's Ocean SUVs, while Tesla had to recall more than 9,000 2016 Model X SUVs over a roof trim piece issue. Furthermore, BMW has recalled over 720,000 vehicles due to concerns with water pumps that could potentially lead to a fire, highlighting ongoing safety considerations across multiple manufacturers.