Ford recalls nearly 700,000 cars for fire risk. See impacted models.

Ford has recalled nearly 700,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a fuel leak issue that may lead to fires, the car manufacturer has announced.

The recall includes 2021 to 2024 Ford Bronco Sport and 2020 to 2022 Ford Escape vehicles.

According to Ford, a fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.Liquid fuel or fuel vapor that accumulates near a hot surface may ignite, leading to an under-hood fire and increasing the risk of injury, Ford said in a NHTSA filing dated July 11. A fuel leak could lead to fuel odor both outside and inside the vehicle.

"This safety recall supersedes the prior recalls and will include a new remedy for this issue, which is currently under development and expects to be finalized in the near future," Ford said in a statement to USA TODAY on July 16, adding there is an interim software update that will help detect cracked injectors and lower the risk of a fire.

Ford said it is also recalling vehicles produced with these injectors that were not previously recalled, and the company is not aware of any injuries associated with under-hood fires related to cracked fuel injectors.

The recalled models were also part of a separate recall in late June due to the possibility that the rearview camera may fail, which can increase the risk of a crash. The company offered free software updates in that case.

Here’s what to know about National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall no. 25V467000, and how Ford is handling it.

How many vehicles have been recalled?

According to a Ford spokesperson, the recall includes 687,000 vehicles in the U.S. and 694,271 vehicles if counting the U.S. and American territories like American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

Impacted vehicles include:

2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles (manufactured between Feb. 5, 2020 and Feb. 8, 2024)

2020-2022 Ford Escape vehicles (manufactured between Nov. 19, 2018 and Dec. 16, 2022)

What led to the recall?

Ford previously issued notices in November 2022 and March 2024 to address the risk of under-hood fires due to fuel leaks from cracked injectors in Escape and Bronco Sport vehicles with 1.5 liter Dragon GTDI engines.

Ford tried to fix the issue by updating the engine control software to allow it to detect a cracked fuel injector and reduce temperatures of possible ignition sources. The remedy also included adding a tube to allow fuel to drain away from surfaces that may lead to a fire.

On April 11, 2024, the NHTSA opened a recall query to determine “adequacy and safety consequences” of the previous remedy, Ford said. The NHTSA did not believe the fix got to the root cause of the issue.

Ford worked over the next few months to respond to the NHTSA, and then on July 23, 2024, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group began investigating a vehicle that had an under-hood fire after receiving the update. Ford began testing the vehicle and found it had a cracked injector that led to the fire. The company spent the next nine months inspecting vehicles that had experienced under-hood fires after undergoing the update.

According to Ford, the company also noted injector cracking on eight vehicles that experienced an under-hood fire; among them, six did not have updated engine control software.

“Ford is aware of no allegations of injuries associated with these (eight) fires,” the company said.

On March 7, 2025, Ford approved another remedy to address a subset of vehicles that did not properly receive the software portion of the update.

What should I do if I have one of these vehicles?

Ford said it notified dealers about the issue on July 15 and owner notification letters should begin mailing on Aug. 18, 2025.Owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have their engine control software updated for free.

Some drivers have already received the update, so they do not need to take their vehicles in, Ford said. The company will let these drivers know if an update is needed or not. Owners can also search for their vehicle identification numbers online to see what recalls apply to their vehicles.

According to Ford, a final fix is in the works and when the free solution is available, the company will let owners know via mail.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ford recall nearly 700,000 Escape, Bronco Sport cars for fire risk