The U.S. government’s auto safety regulator has concluded a 2 1/2-year investigation into Ford engine failures after the company took corrective actions, such as replacing engines or extending warranties on certain vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced through documents posted Monday on its website that the issue was traced to intake valves that can fracture inside some 2.7-liter and 3-liter turbocharged engines. The investigation, which began in May 2022, covered more than 411,000 vehicles from the 2021 and 2022 model years. Affected models included the Ford F-150, Bronco, Edge, and Explorer, as well as the Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus.
The probe focused on catastrophic engine failures caused by intake valves fracturing and subsequently dropping into the cylinder, where they struck the piston. Forensic analysis revealed that these fractured valves became brittle due to excessively high manufacturing temperatures by a parts supplier, making them prone to break during normal engine use.
According to the NHTSA, the faulty valves were produced between May and October of 2021. Ford argued that not all valves manufactured during this period were defective and noted that most failures occurred before vehicles reached 20,000 miles. The agency’s statistical analysis of failure reports supported Ford’s assessment, indicating that the valves would fail at low mileage, and most vehicles with faulty valves had already experienced a failure.
Earlier this year, Ford recalled roughly 91,000 vehicles equipped with valves made during the suspect period. These vehicles will undergo testing and receive new engines if necessary. Additionally, Ford extended the warranty on vehicles with these valves to 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Throughout the investigation, the NHTSA discovered 396 customer complaints, 825 warranty claims, and 936 engine replacements. Notably, there were no reported crashes or injuries associated with the faulty valves.
