Ford Is Asking Owners To Not Park Near Anything Due To Fire Risk
Ford is recalling nearly 5,000 2020 model-year Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs due to a dangerous electrical defect that could cause engine fires, whether the vehicles are being driven or parked.
Key Points
- Ford is recalling 2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs over a defective battery junction box that can spark engine fires while parked or driving.
- Owners are urged to park outside and away from buildings until the fix is completed.
- Dealers will replace the faulty parts and, in some cases, add an auxiliary electrical box; owner notifications begin September 25, 2025.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem stems from a short circuit inside the battery junction box. If it fails, the result could be an engine compartment fire without warning.
The problem is being blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic. Ford says the issue is caused by printed circuit boards inside the battery junction box that were manufactured with insufficient protective coating. Without proper solder mask coverage and conformal coating, the circuits are vulnerable to moisture from normal underhood conditions.
Over time, that exposure can trigger corrosion and dendritic growth, eventually creating an electrical short with enough current to overheat the board.
The circuit boards in question were produced by a supplier that shifted production to a different manufacturing facility at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
Until repairs are complete, Ford is asking owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from buildings or other cars. Dealers will inspect and replace the faulty junction box at no charge. In some cases, they’ll also remove a ground wire and, for vehicles with standard-duty radiator fan motors, install an auxiliary electrical box with a jumper wire.
Ford says owner notification letters will be mailed starting September 25, 2025. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) tied to the recall are already searchable on the NHTSA website as of September 23.
This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.
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