NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Recall of Certain Ford SUVs Over Fuel Leaks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday it was opening an investigation into the recall of 42,652 Ford SUVs over concerns of a fuel leak that could lead to fire hazards.

The NHTSA’s recall query, or a probe opened by safety regulators when a remedy to solve an issue appears inadequate, covers the 2022 and 2023 models of Ford Bronco Sport and the 2022 model of Ford Escape.

The agency’s concerns centered around a potential fuel leak due to a cracked fuel injector in certain vehicles.

Ford in March recalled those models with 1.5-liter engines to address the concerns and issued an engine control software update along with the installation of a drain tube to remedy the issue.

However, the NHTSA said the earlier recall did not include the replacement of the cracked fuel injector.