Ford Escape, Focus Recall Issued Over Wiring Problem That May Cause Stalls

Almost 10,000 Ford Escape and Focus vehicles are being recalled due to a potential risk that they may stall suddenly and crash. 

The Ford Escape and Focus recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on December 24, after it was discovered certain models may experience electrical system wiring issues that send incorrect signals to the Manifold sensor, potentially causing the vehicle to hesitate or stall the engine

While Ford indicates that it is not aware of any accidents or injuries, this may pose a risk that drivers will lose control of the vehicle and crash.

The recalled Ford Focus and Ford Escape vehicles are equipped with a Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor that sends signals to the powertrain control module. The NHTSA warns that the wiring splices in the engine could supply insufficient compression to the MAP sensor, which would cause the MAP to provide further incorrect signals to the power control module. The result of this scenario will cause the engine to hesitate and possibly shut off unexpectedly.

In the event of a stalled engine during use, the vehicle will remain in motion and all crash safety features, such as airbags, will be useless, the NHTSA warns.

Included in the recall are certain model year 2013 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured from January 11, 2012 to April 1, 2013 and certain model year 2013 through 2014 Ford Focus ST vehicles manufactured from May 3, 2012 to October 14, 2013. According to the NHTSA, there are an estimated 9,017 vehicles impacted by the recall.

Ford has announced they will begin notifying owners of the issue and corrective action which will consist of scheduling an appointment at a local dealer to have the current crimped splices replaced with new splices, free of charge. Owners are being encouraged to schedule their repair appointment at their earliest convenience and to not wait, due to the increased crash risk the vehicles pose.

The official recall start-date is scheduled to begin on January 4, 2016. Customers with further questions or concerns may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference the recall number 14S17-S1.