May 19, 2022 | Washington, DC
Ford Motor Co. is warning rental car companies and other owners of 2021 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators to park their vehicles outside due to the risk of fire. The automaker has confirmed 16 fires, mostly in vehicles that were unattended. Fourteen of these fires were in rental cars.
Until further notice, owners of these affected vehicles should not park them inside – they should only be parked outside and away from homes and other structures. Fires have occurred in vehicles that were parked and turned off.
More than 39,000 vehicles are affected, and at this time there is no known cause or remedy. Ford has filed a recall with NHTSA and will be notifying owners with instructions. Please click here for the recall notice.
Vehicle owners can visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is under recall. NHTSA encourages everyone to download its SaferCar app to stay informed about current recalls.
Summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. An engine compartment fire may occur while driving or parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is performed. The remedy is still under development. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed May 23, 2022. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S36.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
DEARBORN, Mich., May 19, 2022 – Ford Motor Company is advising customers of certain 2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs – built over a four-month period between late 2020 and early 2021 – to park their vehicles outside and away from structures while Ford investigates the cause of under hood fires.
Responding to 16 reported incidents, Ford is recalling 39,013 Expedition and Navigator SUVs in the U.S. built between Dec. 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. These vehicles may pose a risk of under hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and off. As of Ford’s filing with NHTSA, there have been no reported incidents with vehicles built before or after these dates.
Ford, which began investigating the issue on March 24, 2022, has not yet established a cause. The incidents are believed to originate in the rear of the engine compartment near the passenger side of the vehicle.
Fourteen of these incidents occurred on vehicles owned by rental companies (across multiple locations) and two were retail customer vehicles. Of the 16 incidents, 12 reportedly occurred while the vehicle was parked and off, one reportedly while the vehicle was parked and on, and three reportedly while the vehicle was in motion.
Ford is treating this recall with a high sense of urgency and will communicate to customers – via FordPass and Lincoln Way app and mail – as soon as it finalizes the list of owners and addresses within the recalled vehicle population.
Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving vehicles under this recall and is not aware of any accidents related to this issue. The company is aware of one reported injury.
“We are working around-the-clock to determine the root cause of this issue and subsequent remedy so that customers can continue to enjoy using their vehicles” said Jeffrey Marentic, General Manager, Ford Passenger Vehicles. “We recognize the importance of staying in touch with our customers until we resolve this matter.”
READ FORD'S PRESS RELEASE HERE.