Ford Motor Co. said yesterday it has expanded a safety recall from last fall for certain Transit vans equipped with a trailer towing module. Apparently, water can get into the module and eventually cause electrical problems, possibly leading to a fire.
The company noted it is not aware of the problem causing any accidents or injuries, but said there are two confirmed reports of related vehicle fires on Canadian fleet vehicles.
Ford added another 26,000 vehicles to the existing safety recall of about 73,000 2015-2017 Transit vans equipped with towing modules. The total is now nearly 99,900 vehicles in North America, with 90,864 in the U.S. and another 9,029 in Canada. The number has gone up because of an earlier error in identifying affected vehicles, the company said.
Transits involved in the recall were built at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant from Feb. 3, 2014 to Aug. 2, 2017.
The problem: Water can intrude into the module and connector and cause wiring corrosion/ damage and shorts in the electrical system.
The results, according to the OEM, could include things like rapid turn signal flashing, loss of the instrument cluster display, loss of heater and air conditioning controls, and loss of multimedia including radio, screens and SYNC system.
More seriously, prolonged water intrusion could cause an electrical short that could lead to seat belt pretensioner deployment, "a burning smell" and/or risk of fire, Ford explained. The problems could occur even when the vehicles are parked and the ignition is off, the company noted.
The fix: Dealers will add a drainage hole to the driver's door stepwell, according to Ford, and incorporate a fuse into the vehicle wiring harness at no charge; parts are available now to complete the repairs.
