The U.S. government’s auto safety regulator has concluded a 2.5-year investigation into engine failures at Ford after the company addressed the issue by replacing engines or extending warranties for certain vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released documents stating that the investigation, which began in May 2022, focused on over 411,000 vehicles from the 2021 and 2022 model years. This includes models like the Ford F-150, Bronco, Edge, Explorer, and Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus.
The investigation centered on serious engine failures caused by intake valves that could fracture, leading to pieces falling into the cylinder and damaging the piston. Forensic analysis indicated that these valve fractures were linked to high temperatures during manufacturing by a parts supplier, which made the valves brittle and prone to breaking under normal operating conditions.
An analysis of failure report data revealed that the defective valves were manufactured between May and October of 2021, according to the agency. Ford argued that not all valves produced during this time were problematic, and noted that most of the failures occurred before the vehicles had been driven for 20,000 miles.
The agency conducted a statistical analysis to estimate the failure rate of the valves, which aligned with Ford’s findings that the valves were likely to fail at low mileage. Most vehicles with these faulty valves had already experienced failures, according to the agency.
Earlier this year, Ford recalled around 91,000 vehicles that had valves manufactured during the problematic time frame. These vehicles will be tested, and if necessary, they will receive new engines. Additionally, Ford has extended the warranty for vehicles with these valves to 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Throughout the investigation, the agency noted receiving 396 customer complaints, 825 warranty claims, and 936 engine replacements. Fortunately, there were no reports of crashes or injuries related to these issues.