Ford and its Lincoln luxury division have issued a recall for about 200,000 large SUVs because of at least 16 reports of fires developing near the glovebox. The recall applies to 2015-2017 Ford Expeditions and 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigators.
Ford advised owners to park these vehicles outside in May when it was still investigating the source of the fires. It now believes it may have identified the problem.
Ford tells federal auto safety regulators that the problem is related to a blower motor in the cars’ climate control system. That motor can fail, heating plastic parts behind the dashboard that can then catch fire.
Ford is aware of one related injury.
The company tells regulators the problem “typically occurs at a higher time in service, and on vehicles with higher mileage.” But Ford hasn’t been any more specific than that. Owners might notice the blower stopping or a melting plastic smell as the problem develops. But they might not notice anything. So, we urge them to bring their cars in for repair as soon as possible.
Dealers will correct the problem by installing a new blower motor with a redesigned part.
Recall repairs are always free.
Many cars are recalled to fix safety defects, sometimes more than once. While automakers try to reach every owner to ask them to bring the vehicle in for repair, they rarely reach them all. Millions of vehicles on American roads need free recall repairs. Check the easy VIN tool at our recall center to find out if your car is one of them.
