Alabama owners of 2013 Ford Escapes may be included in a recall over the crossover vehicles’ engines. The concern over the potential for car accidents caused by fires in the Escape’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine led the automaker to announce the recall of 140,000 of the vehicles in the United States. Another 21,000 Escapes were being recalled in other export markets including Canada, according to a source at Ford.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was told by Ford that cracks could be caused by the localized overheating of engine cylinder heads. This might allow a leakage of oil, which could ignite as it dripped onto a hot surface in the engine. Twelve fires had reportedly happened in the U.S. and one in Canada, according to Ford, but it had not been notified of any injuries associated with the fires. To fix the problem, the automaker said, dealers would make enhancements to cooling and control systems as well as to the vehicles’ engine shielding.
Ford also announced a second recall action involving the 2013 Escape, this one numbering about 9,500 in the U.S. only. This recall was actually to check that repairs called for under a 2012 recall had been done correctly, according to the NHTSA website. The concern was that repairs done to fuel lines to fix potential leaks may have been conducted improperly. This could cause lines to chafe against another part of the engine, producing a leak.
Car accidents involving serious injury or death may be caused by malfunctioning equipment. An attorney may be helpful to those individuals who have suffered injuries from crashes if they are seeking financial compensation for damages like medical expenses and pain and suffering.
Source: NY Times, “Ford Discloses Two New Recalls for the 2013 Escape“, Christopher Jensen, November 26, 2013
