By Deepa Seetharaman
DETROIT, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co is recalling
its newly launched 2013 Escape sport utility vehicle for a third
time, citing an improperly installed part that could trigger a
fire in the engine compartment.
This recall affects about 7,600 Escapes, mostly in the
United States, equipped with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, Ford
said on Wednesday. The models were built between Oct. 5, 2011,
and Aug. 31, 2012. Ford is the No. 2 U.S. automaker by sales.
In a small number of these models, the cup plug on the
engine cylinder head may come loose. This would lead to loss of
engine coolant, causing the engine to overheat. In some cases,
the ethylene glycol in the coolant may combust.
Fewer than 0.4 percent of the Escape models recalled in the
United States have this issue, Ford said in a document filed
with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In July, Ford recalled 11,500 Escape SUVs for a fuel line
defect that could cause an engine fire. The issue led Ford to
take the rare step of telling owners to stop driving
immediately.
The latest recall is less severe and is unrelated to the
fuel line problem, Ford said. About 6,150 of the SUVs covered by
the action are in the United States and 1,300 are in Canada.
“Because of the facts from our investigation, we really felt
that the extraordinary actions required by the previous instance
aren’t required here,” Ford spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel said.
The 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is made at Ford’s Bridgend
Engine Plant in England. In its investigation, Ford found that
the cup plugs prone to problems were manually installed.
It had been common practice at the plant to install these
components by hand if there was a problem with the automated
systems. That is no longer the case, Zwiebel said.
“The plant is now only using automated machinery for this
installation,” she said. “There will be no more manual
installation of that particular part.”
ESCAPE SALES STILL STRONG
The problem came to light last month after an Escape caught
fire on a dealer lot in Nashville, Tennessee, due to a dislodged
plug. Ford later found that an Escape fire reported by a Ford
employee on July 11 had also been caused by a missing plug.
Ford said that in some cases, the water in the coolant could
vaporize once it leaked, increasing the concentration of
ethylene glycol to the point where it could combust.
Ford said in the filing that it was unaware of any fires in
Escapes sold to customers. Replacement parts are available at
dealerships.
The Escape SUV, one of Ford’s best selling models, was
completely redesigned for the 2013 model year. It is one of two
crucial launches for Ford this year. The other is the 2013
Fusion mid-size sedan, which is due to go on sale this fall.
Also in July, Ford recalled more than 8,000 Escape SUVs to
fix a carpeting issue that interfered with drivers’ ability to
apply the brakes.
The Escape is Ford’s fastest selling vehicle on dealer lots,
Ford’s marketing chief Ken Czubay said on Tuesday. Two weeks
ago, Ford added a third shift at its Escape plant in Louisville,
Kentucky, to keep up with demand.
Through August, Ford has sold about 177,000 Escape SUVs this
year, up 5.5 percent from 2011. About 90 percent of the Escape
SUVs sold have either a 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
