U.S. Regulators End Probe Into 411,000 Ford Vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA is the main safety authority in America that concluded an investigation into around 411,000 Ford pickup trucks and SUVs with 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter EcoBoost engines. The probe was initiated in July 2022 after consumers reportedly complained of possible problems in the engine, namely, valve damage that might cause abrupt engine failure. Originating from the Ford Bronco, the investigation then expanded to other Ford models including Ford Edge, F-150, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus, especially the 2021 and 2022 units with EcoBoost engines.

Nov. 6, Reuters just reported that some of the recall vehicles might suddenly stall due to failure of the engine without any warning. NHTSA received over 1,000 reports from owners stating problems related to the engine valves, with most of them saying that symptoms occurred long before reaching the mileage of 32,000 kilometers. In somewhat of an interesting turn of events, Ford pointed out that most cases occurred much earlier even than that, that is, before 8,000 kilometers. NHTSA’s research indicated that the probable cause of these engine valve failures might be related to one engine valve that has an engine valve exceeding the accepted tolerance limits that compromise the strength of such valves to significant damage and severe engine-related problems.

In response to these hazards, Ford acted in August by recalling 90,000 vehicles. It then followed the checking and test processes at dealerships to inspect some vehicles that had yet to cover high mileage so that it could find out how durable they were. By Ford’s inspection, there were some batches of valves utilized in those models that were not completely disabled that would raise the risk of failure of engine failure.

The company has given customers assurance and hope by the extension of warranty on its 90,000 recalled vehicles. The warranty that goes with it is the new 10-year/241,000 kilometres requirement, whichever comes first, ensuring new covers. Ford’s steps were cautious since there have not yet been any reports of accidents or injuries associated with the valve problem.

This extended warranty offer is Ford‘s service to safety and reliability for its customers, ensuring that those who experienced this defect will be served properly without burdening themselves with extra financial charges. The investigation has thus closed up with these measures; however, the findings of the NHTSA emphasize that stringent quality checks and consequent timely action in automobile manufacturing is essential as well.