DEARBORN (WWJ) - Ford is recalling roughly 200,000 SUVs over issues that may cause the vehicle's front blower motor located behind the glove box to fail, officials said.
The Dearborn-based automaker said the recall affects Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2015 through 2017 model years.
In a report filed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford said it was aware of 25 cases where the heating and cooling fan motors caught fire.
"Of the 25 reports, 13 were localized fires in the blower motor area. The remaining 12 reports involved more extensive damage to the vehicle, with three instances of property damage to structures and one to nearby vehicles," the company said in the report.
"It remains unclear in the more extensive fires whether the incident was caused by a blower motor concern," Ford said.
The company said so far, there aren't any reports of accidents stemming from the defect. One claim said a customer’s hand and fingers were injured during an alleged incident.
Ford said all of the vehicles were running at the time the fires started.
Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge, to fix the issue.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2022.
This is Ford's 52nd recall notice so far this year, making it the U.S. automaker with the most recalls -- over 7.4 million Ford vehicles have been affected by safety concerns.
For further information, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.govners may contact
Ford's customer service can be reached at 1-866-436-7332.