A new recall aims to address a problem that wasn’t properly fixed in the previous campaign.
There are a couple recurring issues impacting the Ford Bronco Sport SUV as well as its close sibling, the Escape. The most significant is a potential fire risk from fuel injectors on 1.5-liter-equipped models cracking and leaking fuel into the engine compartment, where it can ignite. If that sounds familiar, that’s because Ford already recalled both models for the problem twice — once in November 2022 (NHTSA number 22V-191) and again in March 2024 (24V-092). “The underlying condition may still exist,” Ford tells the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, so it’s recalling a batch of Bronco Sports and Escapes to have repair work completed once again.
A recall report submitted to the NHTSA does not include all vehicles from the previous recalls, but it does impact 33,576 2020-2022 Ford Escape SUVs and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport SUVs, so it’s still a significant population. In total, this latest campaign affects slightly more Escapes (18,221 units) than Bronco Sports (15,355 units).
Ford says, according to its own records, these vehicles did not have the remedy work done, but were recorded as “successfully completed”. Part of the original repairs included a software update to the powertrain control module to detect whether injector problems cropped up down the road. The tool to do that, however, didn’t upload the software correctly, so owners are going to have to go to dealers to have the work done again. Until that happens, Ford notes that the condition for fuel injectors to crack, leak fuel and potentially spark a fire is still present.
Owners may be able to smell fuel vapors both outside and inside the vehicle if there is an actual leak. Hopefully before the engine catches fire, as Ford also puts in the recall report: “If the fuel leak initiates a fire that progresses, the customer may notice smoke or flames emanating from the engine compartment or underbody.” Accurate, but the most comforting notice.
Ford will notify dealers of this latest update by April 24. Owners, on the other hand, won’t receive notifications until May 1. That said, here’s to hoping this next repair truly fixes the issue for these Bronco Sport and Escape owners.
