NHTSA flags ineffective repair in Ford fuel injector recall, demands replacement

According to recent developments, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expressed “significant safety concerns” regarding a repair implemented by Ford in a March 8 recall covering almost 43,000 Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, as well as Escape SUVs from 2022, all featuring 1.5-liter engines. The issue involves fuel injectors that may split, permitting gas or vapor to leak close to heated engine components that could lead to combustion, fuel odors, and increased hazard risks. In an April 25 correspondence with Ford, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation asserted that the remedy program “does not address the root cause of the issue and does not proactively demand the substitution of faulty fuel injectors before their failure.” The repair introduced by Ford entails incorporating a drain pipe to disperse the fuel away from hot surfaces and implementing software to identify a decrease in fuel pressure in the fuel injection system. The software will then incapacitate the high-pressure fuel pump, lessen engine power, and curtail temperatures within the engine compartment. Ford claimed that this solution would prevent future failures and shield clients. However, safety campaigners have alleged that Ford is avoiding the expense of replacing fuel injectors and instead adopting a cheaper fix that drains gasoline onto the ground. A statement was left Thursday looking for comment from Ford, which previously acknowledged cooperation with the probe. The NHTSA also requested further information from Ford, including details on any assessments conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the repair, other potential remedies thought about, and a cost-benefit analysis performed while deciding upon the fix. The agency also requested data regarding the quantity of fuel that might leak and whether it complies with federal ecological and safety criteria, as well as Ford’s viewpoints concerning “its responsibilities (legal, moral, environmental, and others) to forestall and/or restrict fuel leakage onto the roadway at any stage during the car’s life cycle.” Ford has reported five engine bay blazes and fourteen warranty replacements of fuel injectors, yet no accidents or injuries, as per documents submitted by Ford. The recall is an expansion of a 2022 recall addressing the same issue, according to Ford. The remedy has already been tested on vehicles included in the earlier recall, and Ford stated that it is unaware of any issues. Additionally, Ford declared that it won’t recommend parking these vehicles solely outside since there is no proof that fires occur when vehicles are parked and the engines are switched off. In documents submitted by Ford to NHTSA, it was revealed that the problem arises in around 1% of the vehicles.