The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed its investigation into a potential engine defect affecting over 411,000 Ford and Lincoln SUVs and trucks, which could cause the vehicles to lose power. The probe, which began in July 2022, initially focused on Ford Bronco models with 2.7L EcoBoost engines. The investigation was later expanded to include Ford Edge, F-150, Explorer, as well as Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus models from the 2021 and 2022 model years that were equipped with either 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engines.
The NHTSA had concerns that a malfunctioning valvetrain might be causing the issue. However, Ford determined that not all valves in the affected vehicles were defective. The automaker also noted that the reported engine failures occurred in vehicles with relatively low mileage. As a result, the investigation has now been concluded.
According to the report, most of the incidents occurred in vehicles with fewer than 20,000 miles, with over half of the failures happening before reaching 5,000 miles.
The NHTSA stated that its analysis largely aligned with Ford’s findings, suggesting that the majority of valve defects had already caused failures by the time the vehicles were examined.
In August, Ford issued a recall for 90,736 vehicles with “Nano” engines that were built between May 2021 and October 2021. On Monday, the company announced it would extend the warranty coverage for these recalled vehicles to 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.
The recall issued on August 23 recommended that owners bring their affected vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealership to have the engine’s cycle life inspected. If the vehicle did not meet the required standards, it would undergo further inspection for potential issues with the intake valves, and an engine replacement would be offered if necessary.
Ford noted that vehicles produced after October 2021 are fitted with a different intake valve material to address the issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed that the number of reported failures related to the faulty valve issue has decreased since November 2021.