Ford Motor Company issued a recall for approximately 327,000 vehicles due to a safety issue.
The company said that some F-150 trucks manufactured between 2015 and 2019, and Super Duty trucks manufactured between 2017 and 2019, may have issues stemming from a previous recall.
While technicians serviced the engine block heaters in the vehicles, “the engine block heater cable splice connectors may have inadvertently become damaged,” according to Ford.
“A damaged block heater cable can cause an inoperative engine block heater and/or tripping of household breakers or GFCI-equipped outlets or a resistive short, which can increase the risk of overheated or melted wiring and fire while the vehicle is parked and the block heater is plugged in.”
Ford stressed that the risk only exists when the vehicle is parked and the block heater cable is plugged into an electrical outlet, warning customers not to use the cable.
Some 874,000 vehicles were affected by the previous recall. The new recall affects a subset of those, about 327,000, in North America.
Approximately 131,068 are in the United States and approximately 196,269 are in Canada.
Ford said that at least one fire in the United States and at least one fire in Canada may be related to the engine block heater issue. There was a second report of a fire in Canada in a vehicle that failed the previous inspection procedure triggered by the recall, but it wasn’t clear whether the incident was related to the engine block heater or another issue.
Owners can take the vehicles to dealers, where technicians will disable the vehicle’s engine block heater cable by cutting off the plug end prongs and sealing the end cap with silicone sealant. Customers will then be told when an engine block replacement cable is available.
The affected vehicles are:
2015-19 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Truck Plant, March 18, 2014, to Nov. 17, 2018, and at Kansas City Assembly Plant, Aug. 21, 2014, to Nov. 17, 2018.
2017-19 Ford F-Series Super Duty vehicles built at Ohio Assembly Plant, Feb. 5, 2016, to Nov. 17, 2018, and at Kentucky Truck Plant, Oct. 8, 2015, to Nov. 17, 2018.
Acura Issues Recall Over Brake Light Failure
Meanwhile, Acura said it was recalling some 323,000 of its MDX SUVs because the brake lights can short out.
The affected vehicles were manufactured between 2014 and 2019.
Owners should take their vehicles to an authorized dealer, where the rear tailgate lights will be replaced, along with, in some cases, associated wiring sub harnesses.
“Due to body variation in tailgate manufacturing, the rear tailgate lid light seals may deform and allow water to leak into the light assemblies and reach certain electrical components. Contact with water can lead to an open circuit, causing rear tailgate lid light failure, and, in some cases, a short circuit that trips the position light fuse, deactivating the exterior position lights and some interior lighting,” Acura stated.
“Without functional rear tailgate lid lights and/or exterior position lighting, a vehicle may not be visible to other traffic at night, increasing the risk of a crash. Acura has received no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue.”
“Acura dealers will replace the gasket seals in both rear tailgate lid lights with updated parts, or, if a light is found to be inoperable due to moisture intrusion, replace the lid light assembly and, if also needed, an associated wiring sub harness. The recall repair is free of charge,” it added.
