Ford Motor Company is recalling over 450,000 vehicles over a potential battery detection flaw, according to a report submitted to authorities Friday. The company is concerned the vehicles may stall in motion or fail to restart and therefore possibly cause a crash.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based carmaker said some 402,978 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles and 53,587 2022-2023 Ford Maverick vehicles would be recalled, according to its safety recall report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“An insufficient calibration strategy for detecting sudden battery degradations during a drive cycle can lead to (a) a vehicle that is unable to restart after an auto start/stop event or (b) experience a stall while coming to a stop at low speed,” according to the document. “Either may be accompanied by a loss of 12-volt accessories, including
hazard lights.”
The safety risk was that “[a] loss of motive power can increase the risk of a crash,” the document warned. (RELATED: Carmaker Recalls Over 400,000 SUVs Over Crash Risk From ‘Unintended Vehicle Movement)
Ford will recall over 450,000 trucks and SUVs. https://t.co/tXh3VAaYdk pic.twitter.com/qhmSwxaIO7
— Forbes (@Forbes) April 17, 2024
The NHTSA contacted Ford in Oct. 2023 for information regarding customer complaints about the faults and Ford began investigating the problem the following month, according to the report.
“As of February 8, 2024, Ford is aware of 917 warranty reports, 11 field reports, and 54 customer complaints
related to this concern. There are 3 unverified reports of fire and 2 property damage claims,” the report read.
Ford was not aware of any accidents or injuries arising from the fault, according to the report.
Ford will notify owners of the affected vehicles by mail to have the power-train control module and body control module calibrations updated for free at a Ford or Lincoln dealership.
Ford issued a similar recall notice four months ago for nearly two million Ford Explorer SUVs over concerns that the vehicles’ A-pillar trim retention clips could fall off and constitute a potential road hazard.