Ford says that, so far, it hasn’t been made aware of any injuries as a result of the engine problems
Of all the automakers in all of the land, Ford $F is king when it comes to one important metric: recalls. The American brand has called back everything from pickup trucks to electric vehicles for repairs this year, and now it’s issued a new recall impacting more than 80,000 cop cars across America.
Ford’s (F) latest recall affects 85,000 Explorer SUVs that are in use across America as police interceptors, reports ABC News. The recall was called due to engine issues on the SUVs that mean the motors could fail without warning and even catch fire:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that the recall is for vehicles with model years 2020 to 2022 and have 3.3L hybrid or gas engines.
The NHTSA said that if an engine failure occurs, significant quantities of engine oil or fuel vapor may be released into the under hood area and may migrate to and accumulate near ignition sources, resulting in a potential under-hood fire, localized melting of components, or smoke.
The agency said that as of July 9, there are 13 reports of under hood fires in North America resulting from engine block breaches on Explorer PIU vehicles built with 3.3L engines made before June 2, 2022. There are no reports of fire resulting from engine block breaches on non-police vehicles.
As a result of the recall, Ford has issues guidance to Explorer drivers to park their cars and shut the engine off whenever they hear “unexpected” engine noises or feel a reduction in torque, reports ABC News. Ford (F) also launched an investigation into the issue in order to determine a cause and set out a plan to rectify the problem.
Ford says that, so far, it hasn’t been made aware of any injuries as a result of the engine problems.
If you are worried that your police car might be affected by a recall, there are a few easy ways to check if it’s the case. First up, the NHTSA has a super handy app that you can use to see if your vehicle is impacted by a recall, or you can head to the regulator’s website and plug your VIN into its recall search tool.
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