In automotive news, Ford Motor Company recently filed recall documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the potential for engine failure in almost 91,000 "EcoBoost" vehicles from both their Ford and Lincoln product lines. That's obviously a very serious issue, so I wanted to take a closer look at the details.
What's the Problem with the Affected Vehicles?
According to investigative documents from Ford and the language of the recall,
The engines in affected vehicles may contain intake valves that have a propensity to crack and break. An engine intake valve that fails may lead to catastrophic engine damage resulting in a loss of motive power.
The intake valve is more or less the entry point of the combustion process that powers a vehicle. The idea that such a crucial component might "crack and break," allowing combustible air-fuel mixture to be misdirected and potentially shutting a vehicle down, is obviously very concerning—especially if that vehicle is in motion when the issue occurs.
Which Vehicles are Affected by the Recall?
According to the NHTSA, an estimated 90,736 vehicles from Ford and Lincoln product lines, all equipped with turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 or twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 EcoBoost engines, may be affected by the issue. All models are reportedly from 2021-2022 production runs. Here's a breakdown of which vehicles were mentioned and how many of each kind were recalled:
- Ford F-150: 47,719
- Ford Bronco: 15,835
- Ford Explorer: 14,262
- Ford Edge: 2,366
- Lincoln Aviator: 7,199
- Lincoln Nautilus: 3,355
Ford said in the recall that approximately 1% of the recalled vehicles, meaning about 907 of them, are expected to have defective intake valves.
What Could this Defect Do?
If an engine intake valve cracks or breaks it can lead to several problems, some of which can be severe. Here’s a few issues that could potentially arise from the described Ford defect:
- Airflow Disruption - The intake system is responsible for delivering the right amount of air to the engine for combustion. A crack or break can disrupt this airflow or lead to a loss of vacuum pressure, causing the engine to run inefficiently or lose power entirely.
- External Air Entering the System - Air entering through a cracked intake could bypass sensors and create incorrect air-fuel mixture ratios. Improper mixtures could cause harmful emissions, rough idling and travel, misfires, or even stall-outs while driving.
- Contaminants Entering the Engine - Cracks in the valve might not just let air out; they could also allow foreign material in. If debris, dust, or water enters the engine, it could seriously damage other components like connecting rods, pistons, or cylinder walls. That in turn might cause accelerated wear and tear—or as suggested in the recall, full engine failure.
In sum, an engine is a precisely-calibrated machine with little space or tolerance for part failure or foreign material. If an intake valve cracks or breaks during normal use, that can kickstart a chain of issues ranging from inconvenient all the way to disastrous.
What Should I Do about My Recalled Vehicle?
Most recalls say pretty much the same things when it comes to consumer action: Discontinue use of the product if you can, then contact the manufacturer to schedule repair or replacement. Ford's instructions are similar, as they call for vehicle owners to head to a dealership as soon as possible. Dealers will reportedly test each vehicle's engine and repair or replace it as needed.
It's not for me to tell anyone what to do, but I encourage anyone with a listed EcoBoost vehicle to go have it checked. Even if Ford's estimate of 1% is right, there's no telling right now which 907 of the 90,736 recalled vehicles have the defective intakes. I think most would agree that it's playing with fire to continue driving a vehicle whose engine might "catastrophically fail" at some point.
Why Does This Ford Recall Matter?
People reading this may see Ford's estimate of under 1,000 defective vehicles, factor that into the millions upon millions of Fords and Lincolns on the road every day, and write this recall off as not a big deal. I, however, beg to differ. To borrow a somewhat corny phrase from the NHTSA, "Safe Cars Save Lives." If somewhere between 900 and 91,000 people can be better protected from possible injuries or death due to vehicular failure, that's clearly far better than Ford never speaking up about the problem.
On the other hand, recalls could also be viewed as little more than an apology for poor manufacturing processes or insufficient quality assurance. Sending out a letter saying "oops" after a serious defect disables some of your vehicles is a bit like waiting until a golf ball hits someone to yell "fore!"
Ford says they haven't gotten anything but warranty claims for the intake valve issue, and I sincerely hope that is and stays true. However, with the recall out a crash victim may finally understand why their Ford or Lincoln vehicle shuddered and then shut off just before their wreck. If so, then Ford Motors may owe that person a lot more than a tardy warning.