Ford Recalls Over 140k Vehicles Due to Fire Concerns

What: The affected Lincoln MKC vehicles were built between August 20, 2013, and August 2, 2019.

Who: Ford Motor Company.

Why: The Lincoln MKCs are recalled due to a defect found in the vehicle that could pose a fire risk.

When: The recall was submitted to the NHTSA on June 01, 2023.

Where: The recall is for vehicles located in the United States. However, issues with the Lincoln MKC have been reported in Canada and China. 

How Can Identify The Recalled Product?: Owners can identify if their vehicle has been recalled by contacting Ford or by entering their vehicle's 17-digit vehicle identification number to the NHTSA’s website. 

Ford’s Lincoln MKC Vehicles Recalled Due to Fire Concerns

On June 1, 2023, Ford issued a recall for 142,522 Lincoln MKC vehicles. In their recall, Ford asked vehicle owners to park them away from structures and other vehicles after discovering a defect that could pose a fire risk. On March 14, 2023, Ford began its investigation into the vehicles after being made aware of the 18 reports of MKC vehicles (model years 2015 to 2017) had underhood fires in North America and China after they were brought to Ford's Critical Concern Review Group(CCRG) for review. 

According to the reports, the SUVs that caught fire were both parked and turned off during the incidents. Continuing their investigation of the vehicles into March, April, and May, Ford's CCRG conducted multiple vehicle inspections, supplier reviews, product design reviews, field data analysis, and lab analysis. As of May 15, the motor vehicle company has been made aware of 19 potentially related incidents of underhood fires. Of the 19 incidents, 11 were in the United States, 7 in China, and 1 in Canada. However, as it stands, they have not been made aware of any physical injuries associated with the defect.

Then, on May 19, 2023, Ford's Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and officially approved a field action to advise Lincoln MKC owners to park their vehicles outside and away from structures while they continued their investigation. To be clear, currently, Ford has only issued notice for their drivers to park the affected vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles– they have not issued instructions to stop driving the vehicles.

What Is Causing the Underhood Fires?

As for what is wrong with the vehicles, the report states that the issue stems from the location of the battery monitor sensor. The location of the sensor can cause it to be susceptible to damage when the battery or related electrical components are serviced. If the battery monitor sensor's housing is damaged, an electrical short can develop in the battery monitor sensor's printed circuit board. In the event of a short, the battery monitor sensor power circuit could allow an electrical current load sufficient enough to overheat surrounding material, causing a fire. 

There are no obvious signs to show drivers that their vehicles have been affected, so as previously mentioned, for safety, Ford is asking its drivers to keep their cars parked outside and away from structures and other vehicles to avoid the risk of unattended vehicle fires. Ford is offering their customers remedies to the issue. The affected vehicles will have an in-line fuse added to the battery monitor sensor power circuit to prevent electrical current load due to shorting from overheating surrounding material. Repairers working on the vehicles should also be sure to park them away from their shop to avoid the risk of fire causing damage to their building, equipment, and other customer vehicles. 

Ford began notifying dealers of the issues and remedies on May 31, 2023, and owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail on June 26, 2023. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a Lincoln dealer to add an in-line fuse to the battery monitor sensor power circuit. Until then, drivers of the 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles can determine if their car is included in this recall by entering the vehicle's 17-digit identification number (VIN) on the NHTSA's website or by contacting Ford's toll-free line (1-866-436-7332). Customers can also head to Ford’s website and enter their car's VIN or contact a local Ford or Lincoln dealer. Ford has listed this recall under number 23S28.

Owners of the Lincoln MKC who have experienced an underhood fire or who want to learn more about the recall can contact a Morgan & Morgan attorney today for more information.