Ford recalls nearly 200,000 vehicles over fire risks

Ford Motor Company announced a new recall for some of its vehicle models. This time, the affected units are its sports utility vehicles - Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.

As per NBC News, Ford Motor is recalling the SUV models that were released from 2015 to 2017. The units are being called back after the company received at least 12 reports of extensive fire incidences involving the said vehicles.

For this recall, almost 200,000 units are said to be at risk of catching fire and pointed at the heating and cooling fan motors as the reason. The company explained the mentioned auto parts may malfunction and burst into flames.

The Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators’ front blower motor which sits behind the glove box may not work and if this happens, it becomes a fire hazard. Apparently, if the defective blower fails to function as it should, it can lead to overheating and cause a fire.

So far, Ford Motor received 25 reports of fires that can be related to the faulty vehicle component, and 12 of these reported considerable damages to the vehicles as the fire quickly spread. There was also one case where someone was injured and one that caused damage to other vehicles. The other 13 incidents involve fires that were quickly contained.

It was noted that this is Ford Motor’s second vehicle recall this year involving the same models of SUVs. In May, it advised owners to park their 2021 Lincoln Navigators and Ford Expeditions outside or far from their homes and buildings due to fire risk.

In the recall notice that was posted on the webpage of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford Motor confirmed the recall of some 2015-2017 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The automaker said that to fix the issue, “Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge.”

All owners of the affected vehicles can expect to receive notification letters on Sept. 12. For more details about the recall, owners may also communicate with Ford Motor by calling its customer service at 1-866-436-7332.