Two of the three Escape recalls have involved a risk of fire, according to Ford.
Ford’s all-new 2013 Escape crossover-utility vehicle has been targeted for its third recall since July, the latest action aimed at correcting a faulty part installation that could lead to a vehicle fire.
It is, in fact, the second recall of the new Ford Escape to deal with a fire hazard, following a previous action in July. Despite the series of setbacks for what is one of the most new Ford products this year, Escape sales hit their highest level ever last month.
The latest service action involves 7,600 of the 2013 Ford Escape models equipped with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine. Of those, 6,150 have been sold in the U.S., the rest in Canada.
According to the maker, the recall is meant to inspect the cup plug in the cylinder head. A small number of those were improperly installed by hand – perhaps one of every 250 vehicles. But should those come loose that could lead to the immediate loss of engine coolant. In turn, if that fluid comes into contact with hot engine parts it could catch fire.
While there have been no reports of problems from Escape owners, Ford says it did receive word of a fire at a dealer lot in Tennessee that occurred during a test drive before the vehicle was delivered to a customer. The fire was quickly extinguished.
If necessary, dealers will install additional plug sealant and a secondary cap designed to keep the original in place. The repairs, which will take about 3.5 hours to complete, will be made at no charge to consumers.
All three of the Escape recalls barely total as many of the CUVs as Ford sold in August alone – the 28,188 that went out the door last month marking a 37% year-over-year increase and the best month ever for the popular model.
The new Escape is significantly different from early versions in that Ford migrated from a conventional, truck-like platform to a lighter, nimbler and more fuel-efficient car-based crossover architecture. That’s in keeping with general industry trends and follows by a year the shift of the bigger Ford Explorer from truck-based SUV to car-based CUV.
The question is whether the recalls will tarnish the new vehicle’s reputation. The 2013 Escape faced a July recall for a separate potential fire hazard. A damaged line could spill fuel, Ford warned, telling owners of vehicles impacted by that recall to park their CUVs until dealers could come and get them.
That service action came just days after another recall to correct a problem with loose carpets that could interfere with the operation of the vehicle’s pedals.
Ford also announced a large recall of older Escape SUVs this summer.