Ford Bronco, Escape Fuel Injector Recall Comes With Massive Costs

Ford is recalling more than 694,000 Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs with 1.5-L engines because fuel injectors may crack and leak fuel, creating a fire risk. This latest action expands and replaces three previous recalls addressing the same defect.

Ford estimates that the recall will cost about $570 million, which comes to about $821 per vehicle.¹ Though this figure is not the most expensive recall per-vehicle – that title goes to Hyundai’s EV recall at $11,000 per car – it is above the average cost of about $500 per vehicle as seen in the past decade.²

The recall repair is still under development. In the meantime, affected Ford owners will receive interim notices informing them that they can bring their vehicles to the dealership for engine control software updates.

Table of Contents

• Ford Fuel Injector Recall: A Quick Overview
• Which Ford Vehicles Are Affected?
• What’s the Defect? Why It’s Dangerous
• Interim Remedy: What Owners Should Do Now
• This Recall Replaces Three Earlier Recalls
• How to Check If Your Ford Is Under Recall
• Legal Options If Your Vehicle Can’t Be Fixed

Ford Fuel Injector Recall: A Quick Overview

• NHTSA ID: 25V467000
• Ford Recall: 25S76
• Recall Size: 694,271
• Vehicles: 2021–2024 Ford Bronco Sport and 2020–2022 Ford Escape vehicles with 1.5-L engines.
• Problem: The fuel injectors may crack and leak fuel in the engine compartment, increasing the risk of an under-hood fire if the fuel contacts a hot surface.
• Cause: Ford has investigated the role of corrosion in fuel injector cracks, but the root cause is still unknown.³
• Recall Remedy: An interim remedy of engine software updates is available, but the final remedy has not yet been determined.
• Mailed Notification: Interim notices will be mailed August 18, 2025.
• Note: This expands on and replaces NHTSA Campaigns 22V859000, 24V187000, and 25V165000.

Which Ford Vehicles Are Affected?

Ford’s fuel injector recall covers the following vehicles with 1.5-L EcoBoost GTDI engines:

• 2021–2024 Ford Bronco Sport
  • Population: 339,044
  • Production Dates: Feb 05, 2020 – Feb 08, 2024
• 2020–2022 Ford Escape
  • Population: 355,227
  • Production Dates: Nov 19, 2018 – Dec 16, 2022

Ford’s recent Form 8-K also indicate an international recall of 2019–2024 Ford Kuga, the UK equivalent of the Ford Escape.

What’s the Defect? Why It’s Dangerous

The high pressure fuel injectors have an unknown defect that makes them prone to cracking.

Cracked injectors allow fuel or vapor to leak into the cylinder head, out of a drain hole and right onto hot surfaces on the exhaust/turbo system. When a high amount of fuel or vapor makes contact with a sufficiently hot surface, the fuel or vapor could ignite and start an under-hood fire in the affected vehicles. When this happens, Ford drivers may notice instrument cluster warnings and/or see smoke or fire coming from the engine compartment or underbody.

Past solutions included improved software to detect cracks, disable the fuel pump, lower engine power output and reduce temperatures of hot surfaces. Ford has also tried to reduce the chance of under-hood fire by installing tubes that funnel leaking fuel away from hot surfaces.

Interim Remedy: What Owners Should Do Now

Ford plans to mail interim notices to affected owners from August 18, 2025 to August 22, 2025. Affected Ford owners will be able to get their engine control software updated to include leak detection – a repair that some owners may have already received under previous recalls.

The interim notice will inform you if you still need the engine software update. If your recall notice instructs you to seek a recall repair, you may schedule a service appointment through the following means:

• Call Ford’s Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332.
• Search for a local Ford dealership and call the dealership directly.

If your Ford vehicle has leaked fluid, shown warnings on the instrument cluster, or emitted smoke from the engine compartment, schedule a repair service appointment as soon as possible to address the problem.

This Recall Replaces Three Earlier Recalls

Ford’s ongoing issues with leaking fuel injectors led to multiple recalls for Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles over the past three years. In quite a few cases, cracked injectors allowed fuel to leak at rates as high as 19 liters per hour, posing serious fire risk if the fuel made contact with hot engine or exhaust components.⁴

Recall repairs included drain tubes to redirect fuel away from hot surfaces and software updates meant to monitor fire risk. Despite these efforts, Ford has not been able to determine a root cause and many vehicles still need updated repairs.

Ford 25S21 / NHTSA 25V165000 – March 2025

• Vehicle Models: 2020–2022 Escape and 2021–2023 Bronco Sport
• Population: 33,576
• Remedy: The Power Control Module software will be updated.
• Notices Mailed: April 22, 2025.
• Note: Targets vehicles previously repaired under Ford Recalls 24S16 and 22S73.
• NHTSA Recall Page

Ford 24S16 / NHTSA 24V187000 – March 2024

• Vehicle Models: 2022–2023 Bronco Sport and 2022 Escape vehicles with 1.5L engines.
• Population: 42,652
• Problem: Cracked fuel injectors allow fuel to leak into the cylinder. The fuel can travel out of a drain hole and onto hot surfaces in the exhaust/turbo system.
• Remedy: A drain tube to funnel fuel away from ignition sources, plus engine control software that detects pressure drops. The software prevents under-hood fires by disabling the high pressure fuel pump, reducing power output and lowering temperatures of possible ignition sources.
• Notices Mailed: April 1-5, 2024.
• Note: Expands on Ford Recall 22S73.
• NHTSA Recall Page

Ford 22S73 / NHTSA 22V859000 – November 2022

• Vehicle Models: 2020–2023 Escape and 2021–2023 Bronco Sport vehicles with 1.5L engines.
• Population: 521,746
• Remedy: Install a drain tube and update the engine software to detect pressure drops and prevent under-hood fires.
• Notices Mailed: Interim notices were mailed January 9, 2023. Follow-up notices were mailed February 28, 2023.
• Note: Expands on Ford Recall 22S21.
• NHTSA Recall Page

How to Check If Your Ford Is Under Recall

Ford has issued several safety recalls this year, including 11 recalls for backup camera issues. If your vehicle is affected, your manufacturer will mail you a recall notice. However, you don’t have to wait to find out; you can find any open recalls on your vehicle through these search tools:

• Ford’s Recall Search Tool: Enter your Vehicle Identification Number (found on the driver’s side dashboard near the windshield or inside the driver’s side doorjamb) into the search bar to pull up existing recalls.
• NHTSA’s Recall Lookup Tool: Type your VIN or your state License Plate Number to look for any open recalls on your vehicle.

Repairs offered under recall are usually free of charge. Sometimes, repairs obtained prior to the recall for related safety issues are reimbursed. Confirm with your manufacturer’s customer service department. If your vehicle safety issues are not covered by recall, you may report them to NHTSA’s Safety Hotline: 888-327-4236.

Legal Options If Your Vehicle Can’t Be Fixed

If Ford has not repaired your vehicle within a reasonable number of attempts, you may be able to recover legal restitution under California’s lemon law. Owners and lessees of defective vehicles are eligible for cash compensation, a vehicle replacement or a lemon law buyback (a repurchase of your vehicle).

A consultation with a lemon law attorney is free of charge. Should you qualify for our lemon law services, you will not pay for anything out of pocket. Our firm is paid on a contingency basis. That means we only get paid if you win, and the manufacturer pays our attorneys’ fees and costs as part of the settlement.

Call our lemon law firm for a free consultation: 833-208-8181.

References

1. Ford Motor Company. (2025). Form 8-K. Ford SEC Filings Details. https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000037996/bffc4218-fdb6-4c7f-8c41-9ba6671936a4.pdf. Retrieved from https://shareholder.ford.com/financials/sec-filings/sec-filings-details/default.aspx?FilingId=18615456
2. Hyundai’s Recall Of 82,000 Electric Cars Is One Of The Most Expensive In History – CBS Baltimore. (2021, February 26). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/hyundais-recall-of-82000-electric-cars-is-one-of-the-most-expensive-in-history/
3. (2025, July 11). Part 573 Safety Recall Report 25V467. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V467-3548.pdf
4. (2024, March 8). Part 573 Safety Recall Report 24V-187. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V187-8517.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.

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