— A Ford Explorer police SUV experienced an engine failure that caused oil and fuel vapor to leak into the engine compartment, causing an engine fire.
Ford is warning Explorer Police Interceptor owners to watch out for unusual engine noises, unexpected loss of engine power, and of course, smoke coming out of the engine compartment.
Any of these signs mean the Explorer needs to be parked and turned off quickly.
The recall of approximately 85,000 Explorers does not include consumer vehicles, only 2020 to 2022 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles.
“The root cause of the fire was engine oil and/or fuel vapors that became uncontrollable when the cylinder block ruptured and ignited on hot surfaces. The cylinder block ruptured after piston and connecting rod failure, which was collateral damage after a high-load event caused bearing seizure. The cause of a bearing seizure is difficult to determine after a catastrophic failure.” — Ford
Ford launched an investigation in July 2023 after receiving three reports of engine fires in 3.3-liter Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles.
The Explorer engine was disassembled at the engine plant, and engineers found that the engine block cracks were likely caused by a broken connecting rod. However, Ford did not find the root cause of the connecting rod breakage.
In response to the 3.3L engine change on the Explorer police SUV, the engine shop did make a change to the connecting rod bearing material in June 2022 to improve durability.
As of July 9, 2024, Ford is aware of 13 engine compartment fires in North America caused by ruptured 3.3L engine blocks in Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles manufactured before June 2, 2022.
Ford dealers will update the powertrain control module software and check for connecting rod bearing failure. Dealers may need to replace the Explorer engine long block.
The interim recall letter for Ford Explorer police vehicles explaining the safety risks is expected to be mailed on August 19, 2024.
A second engine recall letter will be sent out once dealers are ready to perform the repairs. Ford says that will likely be between April and June 2025.
Ford Explorer Police Interceptor owners with any questions or concerns can call Ford at 866-436-7332.
The Ford Explorer police engine failure recall number is 24S52.
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