Ford is recalling about 85,000 Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles because the engines could fail prematurely and possibly result in a fire.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that the recall applies to vehicles with model years 2020 through 2022 and have 3.3L hybrid or gas engines.
NHTSA said that if an engine failure occurs, significant amounts of engine oil or fuel vapor may be released into the underhood area and may migrate to and accumulate near ignition sources, resulting in a potential underhood fire, local melting of components, or smoke.
The agency said that as of July 9, there are 13 reports of underhood fires in North America resulting from engine block intrusions on Explorer PIU vehicles built with 3.3L engines made before June 2, 2022. There are no reports of fire resulting from engine block intrusion on non-police vehicles.
Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition, the report said. The automaker will send a letter to vehicle owners informing them that the investigation is ongoing and that they will be contacted when additional information is available.
Ford will also advise customers in the letter to safely park and shut off the engine as soon as possible when they hear unexpected engine noises, or after experiencing an unexpected reduction in torque or seeing smoke coming from the engine compartment.
A service tool is currently being developed. Parts and software are expected to be available in the second quarter of next year.