— Ford Motor Company announced what they believe to be the fix for what is behind their latest recall of 2013 Ford Escape and Fusion SE and SEL vehicles equipped with 1.6-liter engines. The vehicles were recalled after reports of engines overheating resulting in fires while the engine was running.
According to Ford, the original cooling system design was not able to handle a loss of coolant system pressure under certain conditions. Ford dealers will update the software that operates the cooling system to better manage engine temperatures.
Ford is still advising owners to park their vehicles and contact a dealer for a rental vehicle until a dealer can update the software. According to Ford, owners can expect the repair to take hours, but owners are warned the dealer might need the vehicle longer because of scheduling issues.
You can check if your vehicle is part of the recall by looking at your 17-digit VIN, located on a label on the driver door opening, at the base of the windshield on the driver's side of your vehicle, or on your vehicle registration. In vehicles with 1.6-liter engines, the eighth character will be "X" on Escapes or "R" on Fusions.
Ford has had a fit with their 1.6-liter engine in the Escape. In July, owners of the 2013 Escape equipped with a 1.6-liter engine were told to immediately park their vehicles due to a risk of engine fire. Ford said the engine compartment fuel line could split and leak fuel, which could cause a fire.
In September, Ford recalled the 2013 1.6L Escape because antifreeze could leak due to a dislodged freeze plug. The leaking antifreeze could possibly cause an engine fire.
