- Ford has announced a recall of 565,691 Bronco and Bronco Raptor models from model years 2021-2026 due to the possibility of an engine compartment fire.
- According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the engine wiring harness may short out, causing a spark.
- Ford will require owners to bring their Bronco to the dealership to have a curved casing with an abrasive strip attached to the wiring harness in the engine bay.
Ford has announced a recall of more than half a million Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show Ford is recalling 565,691 Bronco and Bronco Raptor SUVs from model years 2021-2026.
Michael Simari|Car and driver
According to NHTSA documents, the recall is necessary because the engine compartment wiring harness may short out, causing a spark and potential fire. The documents state that insufficient abrasion protection for the wiring harness can result in movement between the wiring harness and nearby parts exposing internal wires. If this happens, the newly exposed wires may short out intermittently, creating arcs and potentially causing a fire in the engine bay.
According to the recall documentation, a short circuit in the engine compartment can cause smoke to appear from the interior vents. Drivers can also be notified of the problem via a warning message on the cluster. Recall documents show that at the time of the filing, Ford was aware of 15 incidents involving fires that could have started in the engine compartment wiring harness.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified and asked to bring their Bronco to a Ford dealership to have it serviced. Dealer technicians will apply a corrugated jacket with abrasive tape to the wiring harness to prevent chafing and reduce the risk of future short circuits. Dealer notifications have already begun, and Ford plans to notify owners between August 24 and August 28. Customers concerned that their vehicle may be included in the recall can check the NHTSA website.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love of cars stems from his still unshakable affinity for Formula 1.
After working briefly in college as a parts specialist at a local dealership, he realized he needed a more reliable way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career as an auto writer. Pursuing his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel around Wisconsin in search of stories from the automotive world before landing his dream job at Car and driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.