Ford $F is recalling 565,691 vehicles in the U.S. following a determination by federal safety regulators that wiring harnesses in the engine compartment of certain models are prone to damage that can lead to a short circuit and potential fire.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday that the recall covers certain 2021–2026 Ford Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. According to NHTSA, if such a short circuit occurs, it could generate enough heat or spark energy to ignite a fire in the engine compartment.
NHTSA said the fix will involve dealership technicians wrapping the relevant wiring in protective sheathing, a service that owners will not have to pay for.
The recall is the latest in a string of safety actions Ford has taken in recent years. The automaker pulled back 140,201 Ranger trucks over a separate wiring issue, with NHTSA finding that harnesses connected to the sun visor or headliner were routed incorrectly or wrapped with excess tape, stressing the wires and raising a fire risk in the A-pillar area. That remedy involved a software update to the body control module and inspection of the wiring, with damaged harnesses replaced.
Ford also recalled about 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks after NHTSA linked unexpected downshifts in 2015–2017 models to two injuries and one accident. In that case, degraded electrical connections caused by heat and vibration were identified as a likely factor. Ford's chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra has said the company's elevated recall activity reflects an effort to find and fix hardware and software issues, adding that Ford has doubled its safety team and expanded testing, according to the Wall Street Journal.