Ford Recalls: Escape, Bronco Sport and Engine Fire Risk

Ford has recalled more than 33,000 Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles due to cracked fuel injectors that may leak fuel and cause engine fires.

The recall addresses certain 2020–2022 Escape and 2021–2023 Bronco Sport vehicles for which previous engine-related recalls did not work. Under the third and largest recall issued for these cracked fuel injectors, Ford recalled approximately 522,000 Ford Escape and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles following 54 reports of fires, four injuries and 43 legal claims associated with the fires.

So far, Ford addressed the risk of oil leaks by providing the following repairs under recalls: replacement of oil separators and seals, installation of drain tubes, updates to the engine control software and updates to the powertrain control module (PCM) software.

If you have received one or more recall notices, we recommend that you follow the safety instructions on these notices and schedule repairs as soon as possible.

If your Ford Escape or Bronco Sport has experienced engine issues that have not been fixed despite multiple repair attempts, you have legal options, further described below.

Table Of Contents

• Ford Recall Contact Information
• Ford Fuel Injector Recalls
• Is My Ford Escape or Bronco Under Recall?
• Talk to A Ford Lemon Law Attorney

Ford Recall Contact Information

If your Ford Escape or Bronco Sport has experienced fuel leaks or is under recall, you can notify the manufacturer through Ford’s Customer Service: 1-866-436-7332.

If you suspect that your Ford’s vehicle issues point to a safety defect, you can report these issues to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236.

If you need a legal consultation for your Ford vehicle’s ongoing issues, contact our lemon law firm for free: 1-833-208-8181.

Ford Fuel Injector Recalls

So far, Ford has issued four recalls related to engine compartment fires potentially caused by cracked fuel injectors or other components. Most Ford vehicle owners covered by these recalls have likely received their recall notices.

Recall 22V-191

• NHTSA ID: 22V191000
• Ford Recall Number: 22S21
• Number of Vehicles: 345,451
• Vehicles Recalled: 2020–2022 Escape, 2021–2022 Bronco Sport with 1.5L engines
• Vehicle Issue and Remedy: The engine oil separator housing may crack and allow oil to leak. Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the oil separator and oil seals.

Ford Escape and Bronco Sport drivers may smell or see oil smoke coming from the under-hood area or notice oil leaks under the engine. These oil leaks are caused by an engine’s oil separator that may have been damaged prior to installation. The loss of seal support allows oil to leak between the oil separator and engine camshaft, which increases the risk of fires if enough oil gets close to an ignition source.¹

Recall notices were sent out beginning April 18, 2022.²

Recall 22V-859

• NHTSA ID: 22V859000
• Ford Recall Number: 22S73
• Number of Vehicles: 521,746
• Vehicles Recalled: 2020–2023 Escape, 2021–2023 Bronco Sport with 1.5L engines
• Vehicle Issue and Remedy: A fuel injector may crack and allow fuel to leak inside the engine compartment. Ford dealers will install a drain tube and update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection.

A cracked fuel injector allows fuel to leak into the cylinder head at a rate of 19 liters per hour.³ This leaked fuel travels out through a drainhole and onto hot surfaces on the exhaust/turbo system, potentially causing under-hood fires.

All Ford Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles previously recalled for oil leaks were included and required the new recall remedy. When this recall was issued, Ford was aware of 54 reports of under-hood fires and 143 reports of leaking fuel injectors.⁴

Interim recall notices were mailed January 3, 2023. Once remedy parts were available, follow-up recall notices were mailed February 28, 2023.⁵

Recall 24V-187

• NHTSA ID: 24V187000
• Ford Recall Number: 24S16
• Number of Vehicles: 42,652
• Vehicles Recalled: 2022–2023 Bronco Sport, 2022 Escape with 1.5L engines
• Vehicle Issue and Remedy: A fuel injector may crack and allow fuel to leak inside the engine compartment. Ford dealers will install a drain tube and update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection.

This recall was an expansion of the previous recall of half a million Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.⁶ Recall notices were to be mailed from April 1, 2024 to April 5, 2024.⁷

Recall 25V-165

• NHTSA ID: 25V165000
• Ford Recall Number: 25S21
• Number of Vehicles: 33,576
• Vehicles Recalled: 2020–2022 Escape, 2021–2023 Bronco Sport
• Vehicle Issue and Remedy: A fuel injector may crack and allow fuel to leak inside the engine compartment. Ford dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software.

This recall covers Ford Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles that were not repaired correctly under Recalls 24V-187 and 22V-859.⁸ The software update that allows for fuel injector leak detection was not properly installed, which puts vehicles at the same risk of engine compartment fires.

Recall notices are expected to be sent out from April 24, 2025 to May 1, 2025.⁹

Is My Ford Escape or Bronco Under Recall?

You can find out if your Ford vehicle is under any open recalls by calling Ford’s Customer Service line at 1-866-436-7332 or by searching your license plate or Vehicle Identification Number in NHTSA’s Recall Search Tool.

If your Ford is under an open recall, schedule an appointment with your local dealership as soon as possible. Keep repair orders or other documents you receive from the dealership after any repair service. If your Ford vehicle has ongoing issues that cannot be fixed within a reasonable number of repair attempts, you may be able to seek legal restitution from the auto manufacturer. Learn how recalls affect lemon law cases.

Consultations are free. If you were sold a vehicle with ongoing and unresolvable safety issues, you may be able to recover compensation, a vehicle replacement or an approximate refund of your vehicle’s initial purchase price.

Talk to A Ford Lemon Law Attorney

Our Ford lemon law attorneys have substantial experience handling simple and complex lemon law cases in California. Our initial consultations are free. You pay nothing out of pocket for our lemon law representation. If you win, your attorneys’ fees and costs are compensated by the manufacturer as part of the final settlement. Call us at 833-208-8181.

References

1. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-191. (2022). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCLRPT-22V191-3103.PDF
2. (2022, March 25). Engine Oil Leak. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=22V191
3. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-859. (2022). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCLRPT-22V859-3756.PDF
4. (2022, November 18). Certain 2020-2023 Ford Escape and Bronco Sport – Under Hood Fire. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RMISC-22V859-6041.pdf
5. (2022, November 18). Cracked Fuel Injector May Leak and Cause a Fire. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=22V859
6. (2024, March 8). Cracked Fuel Injector May Leak and Cause a Fire [Review of Cracked Fuel Injector May Leak and Cause a Fire]. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=24V187
7. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 24V-187. (2024). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V187-8517.PDF
8. (2025, March 14). Cracked Fuel Injector May Leak and Cause a Fire. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=25V165
9. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 25V-165. (2025). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V165-2691.PDF

Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2020–Present vehicle models only.

However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.

To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.