Ford recalls 694,000 Bronco Sport, Escape SUVs due to fire risk
July 21 (UPI) -- Ford is recalling more than 694,000 Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs because of a fire risk.
In a recall notice issued Monday, Ford Motor Company said the compact SUVs' fuel injectors could crack and leak, leading to an engine fire.
"A cracked fuel injector allows for fuel to leak at a high rate" and increases the risk of fire, according to the recall notice.
The recall impacts the 2021-2024 models of Ford's Bronco Sport and the 2020-2022 versions of Ford Escapes, equipped with 1.5-liter engines.
Ford recently identified cracked fuel injectors on eight vehicles that suffered under-hood fires. No one was injured.
While Ford works on a final remedy, engine control software is being offered "free of charge" to detect fuel leaks and disable the high-pressure fuel pump while lowering engine power. According to the recall notice, Ford tried to fix the issue in November 2022, using the computer software update.
In addition to the recall notice, Ford plans to send Bronco Sport and Escape owners a second letter on Aug. 18, to detail a final fix. This latest recall can be referenced by the number 25S76 for owners who contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Earlier this month, Ford recalled 850,000 trucks, SUVs and cars, including the F-150 pickup and S550 Mustang, due to clogging issues with the vehicles' fuel pumps.
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A shortened shift lever with an aluminum shift knob, aftermarket-style aluminum foot pedals, seven-speaker, 450-watt Kenwood KDC-MP919 MP3 audio system with large, trunk-mounted subwoofer, silver-faced analog gauges, and carbon-fiber-look trim on the center stack grace the cabin. This is a pleasant, airy interior with plenty of spread out room and good visibility to all corners. The Kenwood radio is prewired to handle Sirius satellite radio, which touts 100 channels of static-free, and mostly commercial-free, listening coast to coast. Its head unit features a faceplate that's hidden until the ignition is switched on, whereupon it flips 180 degrees to reveal an electric blue Mega-Motion LCD that can provide moving images. In addition to its great sound, this audio unit is an absolute blast to watch! A handy remote-control unit helps drivers who are challenged in using the head unit's incredibly small and nearly indecipherable control buttons. With its first offering, MazdaSpeed has achieved near greatness with the Protegé. According to Walton, its 'chassis is an inspired piece of work with balance, stiffness, compliance, and precise steering.' Lapping the Streets of Willow Springs, the Protegé exhibited great poise—neutral and confident in all respects. 'The Protegé felt as tossable as the Focus, but with an even sharper edge to it,' says Walton. 'I could drive it way deeper into the turns and take it much faster through the corners than the Dodge or Focus.' In fact, the Mazda's chassis was so good that it had us musing about how killer the Protegé would be with just a bit more power. Pros Great sport-compact look Superb ride and handling Turbo makes good power Cons Tiny sounding inside Showy stereo lacks functionality Small intercooler heats quickly Don't Miss Kenwood audio system does tricks Bottom Line Sport-compact champ that puts MazdaSpeed on the map Dodge SRT-4 Whatever you do, don't call the SRT-4 a Neon, unless, of course, you're filling out one of those friendly auto-insurance questionnaires. Neons are rental cars, slow and thrifty sedans parents buy for their college-bound offspring. The SRT-4 is the second fastest (148 mph) and quickest (5.4 seconds 0-60) Dodge this side of a Viper. It even resembles a Viper from the front—or at least Dodge would like you to think so. For the SRT-4, Dodge lifted the 2.4-liter DOHC four from the PT Turbo, itself a long-stroke version of the 2.0-liter base Neon engine, and applied considerable squeeze (12psi boost) from a Mitsubishi TDO4LR-16GK turbocharger. Charge heat is dissipated by a huge, boom-box-size seven-row high-flow Valeo air-to-air intercooler. A larger-diameter throttle body and high-flow inlet manifold help feed more air to the engine. Performance is best described as explosive. SRT-4 piles on 63 percent more power (215!) and a rompin', stompin' 89 percent more torque (245!) than the base Neon for just 51 percent more dollars. All the while, it delivers fuel mileage in the 20-mpg range, even with plenty of turbo-boosted fun driving thrown in. Cog-selection is via a high-torque New Venture T-850 five-speed manual gearbox shared with the V-6 Stratus and Sebring. The shortened Neon shifter isn't exactly the most substantial instrument ever crafted, betraying its econocar roots. But it is direct, if not particularly satisfying to wield. Also, the SRT-4 shifter is balky when cold. Unlike the rubbery mounts in the PT Cruiser, the SRT-4's engine and transmission mounts are firm, so the drivetrain doesn't rock back and forth under hard acceleration. A heavy-duty clutch and special equal-length driveshafts handle the prodigious torque without protest, although a limited-slip differential along the lines of the unit in the MazdaSpeed Protegé would tame wheelspin. Surprisingly, even with all that thrust pulsing through the front wheels, torque steer isn't much of a problem. The SRT-4's front seats feature seriously stiff side bolsters for thighs and shoulders. For those front-seat occupants with more than a 38-inch waistline, the squeeze can be uncomfortable for anything greater than short hops. Getting in and out requires sliding over the big, unyielding wings, but once ensconced, you enjoy race-car-like support from the seats. Opt for the extra-cost side impact airbags, and non-racing-style front buckets from the Neon R/T are substituted. Other special touches include a carbonfiber-look leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift boot, satin metallic-look center stack, and an Autometer turbo-boost gauge. Still, the ambiance of most interior bits and pieces shout rental car. Rear visibility is impaired by the high rear deck and towering spoiler, unless, as the Italians reason, you figure what's behind you isn't important. This is a fairly stiff ride, one better suited for prowling than for driving coast to coast. With experience gained in SCCA racing, PVO engineers bolstered the stock Neon chassis with stiffer springs and retuned Tokico shocks. To accommodate larger, 17-inch wheels and the 205/50 Michelin Pilot Sport tires, the front springs were shortened. Reshaping the suspension knuckles allowed space for large-diameter disc brakes all around and, at the rear, gave the trailing arms more clearance for added negative camber. Although the handling limits are high, Walton discovered that the best way to get the SRT-4 around the track was 'in slow, measured, fluid inputs.' With the high rear roll center of the Dodge 'it felt much like a wagon with a tall, heavy caboose that was threatening to come around,' he says. 'Only the engine saved it from coming in third place on the Willow Springs track.' Squeeze the throttle and all that curmudgeonly quibbling is replaced by a rather broad, fox-in-the-henhouse grin. The streets and most of the other cars on them are at your disposal. To whom shall you dispense turbocharged street justice this time? Other drivers see a Neon and will be totally snookered. Blaaaaaat-ratarata-ratarata there's also this infectious noisemaker insyne with your right foot courtesy of a muffler dual-outlet exhaust terminating in a pair of chrome-tipped 3.5-inch bazookas. Lock. Load. Squirt. Pros Explosive power Son-of-Viper nose Racing-style seats Cons Jouncy ride Rental-car interior High rear roll center Don't Miss Autometer boost gauge, exhaust note Bottom Line Four-door Viper gets 20+ mpg Conclusion It's truly remarkable how much performance and sophistication $20,000 buys these days. Each of these hot sport-compacts offers its buyers mean-streets looks, superlative road-holding, and plenty of power to keep life from getting dull. What we have here is a choice of gnarly, gnarlier, or gnarliest. The new-for-'03 SVT Focus five-door is just as wonderful as was last year's three-door version. But the competition's turned up the wick, especially in the power department. While we still love the SVT's spirited locomotion, hatchback functionality, world-class handling, and overall integration, newer, turbocharged entries from Mazda and Dodge offer better all-around performance for the same or slightly less money. Mazda's first toe dipped into the sport-compact ocean is going to make a big splash and is a great taste of things to come from the talented folks at MazdaSpeed. This Protegé hits a sweet spot in the market, deliver ing fantastic handling, spirited performance, fine balance, great audio, and that signature sport-compact look without compromising the everyday useability of the car. With a few more ponies under its turbocharged hood, the MazdaSpeed Protegé would be the hands-down winner of this contest. One trip around the block will tell you the SRT-4 is immensely more entertaining to drive than the MazdaSpeed Protegé or SVT Focus. As good as the Mazda and Ford are, this unexpected entry from a car-maker with zero sport-compact presence just delivers maximum grins and giggles for minimum coin. With acceleration, braking, and handling numbers akin to a Nissan 350Z and a price close to a four-cylinder Camry, the SRT-4 brings excitement to the just-under-$20,000 hot sedan segment. It boils down to this: The world-class at-the-limit handling of the MazdaSpeed Protegé isn't something you're likely to use often in everyday traffic, while the unexpectedly delicious power of the Dodge SRT-4 is a force you'll have a hard time resisting time and again. Game, point, match; Dodge—at least for now.
