Regulators are investigating whether Ford is adequately addressing fire risk in tens of thousands of sports-utility vehicles it recently recalled.
The 2022 and 2023 Bronco Sports and 2022 Escapes with 1.5-liter engines can present a fuel injector crack potentially leading to fuel leakage that could cause fire. Ford recalled nearly 43,000 of them, saying it would install a drain tube and update engine-control software to add leak detection.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal transportation department agency that oversees automotive safety issues and recalls, will determine whether the remedies are sufficient to prevent fire. It notes in its initial investigation file that Ford isn’t replacing any cracked fuel injectors in the recall, which is an expansion of the original November 2022 recall.
