Ford is recalling 255,404 Focus vehicles after dealers incorrectly repaired an earlier defect that can cause engines to stall unexpectedly, the company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The ford vehicle recall engine issue involves a malfunctioning canister purge valve that may cause the engine to stall while driving and increase crash risk, Ford said.
Ford said dealers will provide a powertrain software update at no charge to owners to address the malfunction. The update applies to powertrain control module software, the NHTSA said, and dealers will perform the work free of charge. Ford identified the affected models as Focus automobiles from the 2012 through 2018 model years.
The recall follows earlier repairs that the company said were performed incorrectly for the same defect. Ford provided the company recall identification 26S40 and the regulator assigned recall number 26V369 for this action. The original NHTSA recall number for the issue is 18V735, the Associated Press reported.
Notification Details And Potential Symptoms
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said affected vehicles may show a malfunction indicator light or display inaccurate fuel gauge readings, which customers may notice. Dealers will update the vehicle software to prevent the canister purge valve from allowing conditions that can lead to an unexpected stall while driving.
Ford said owner notification letters are expected to be mailed and that vehicle identification numbers involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov. Owners may contact Ford customer service for more information at 1-866-436-7332, the Associated Press noted.
The recall notice and identification numbers allow owners and dealers to confirm coverage through NHTSA and Ford channels. The company and the regulator said dealers will install the software update to correct the powertrain control strategy and resolve the incorrect prior repairs.
