US EditionFord recalls over 119,000 U.S. vehicles over engine block heater fire risk, NHTSA says
Ford recalled 116,672 vehicles due to engine block heater defects that can cause coolant leaks and short circuits, with 12 fire reports linked to the issue, NHTSA said.
- NHTSA announced on January 21, 2026 that Ford Motor Co. is recalling 119,075 vehicles due to an engine block heater fire risk.
- The defect involves the engine block heater, which may crack and leak coolant when plugged into an external power source, allowing evaporation that leaves salt deposits creating an electrical short circuit, NHTSA and Ford Motor Co. said.
- The recall covers specific model years including 116,672 vehicles and 2,633 accessory block heaters, mainly 2013-2019 Ford Escape, 2013-2018 Ford Focus, and 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC with 2.0L engines.
- Owners are being told to immediately stop plugging in their heaters and interim owner notification letters will be mailed beginning Feb. 9 with driver notifications by Feb. 13, followed by a second letter in April 2026 when Ford and Lincoln dealers offer free replacements.
- Ford is offering temporary fixes such as stowed heater cord or threaded plug; it reported 12 Ford Escape owners alleging fires as of Dec. 3, 2025, and recalled more than 270,000 vehicles earlier this month.
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An electrical defect associated with the engine heater led Ford and Lincoln to withdraw more than 116,000 cars in the US, right in the middle of extreme cold season
Ford Recalls 116,000 Vehicles Over Possible Coolant Leak That Could Cause Engine Fire
Ford Motor Company announced it was recalling 116,672 Focus, Escape, and Lincoln MKC vehicles due to potential issues with the engine block heater that could lead to a fire in the engine compartment. According to a notice posted on the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) website on Jan. 21, the recall involves 49,080 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured between February 2012 and May 2018 at the company’s main assembly plant…
Ford slams on brakes, recalls hundreds of thousands of vehicles because of fire risk
Ford is in panic mode after discovering a design flaw that increases the risk of an under-hood fire, and has issued a massive recall of approximately 119,000 vehicles. The recall covers 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles, and some 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The defect relates to the vehicles’ engine block heaters, which have been discovered to crack and cause…
100,000 vehicles recalled due to risk of catching fire
Over 100,000 vehicles have been recalled by Ford due to a mechanical error that can cause a fire.According to recall report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the engine block heaters for several different Ford models could overheat then lead to short circuiting.
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