Ford is recalling 116,672 vehicles in the United States after identifying a wiring fault linked to engine block heaters that can short circuit and potentially start fires. The campaign affects older Focus, Escape, and Lincoln MKC models equipped with specific 2.0 liter engines, and it underscores how a seemingly minor electrical issue can escalate into a serious safety risk in cold weather.
Regulators and the company say the defect has already been associated with vehicle fires and property damage, prompting urgent warnings for owners not to plug in their block heaters until repairs are completed. The recall adds to a broader pool of 119,075 affected vehicles when related models are included, highlighting how a single component design can ripple across multiple nameplates and model years.
What is going wrong with the engine block heaters?
At the center of the recall is the engine block heater system, a cold weather feature that allows owners to pre-warm the engine by plugging the vehicle into an external power source. According to safety filings and company documentation, the wiring and connection hardware for these heaters can develop problems that lead to short circuits when energized. In affected vehicles, the heater assembly and associated wiring can crack or leak coolant, which then contacts energized electrical components and creates a path for a short that can overheat and ignite surrounding materials.
Federal safety regulators, including The NHTSA, describe a scenario in which coolant leakage and compromised insulation around the heater wiring increase resistance and heat at the connection point. That combination can melt plastic, damage nearby components, and in some cases start a fire in the engine compartment while the vehicle is parked and plugged in. The official Part 573 Safety Recall Report filed by the Manufacturer Name, Ford Motor Company, details this defect under its Population of affected vehicles and identifies the engine block heater and its harness as the root of the hazard, aligning with independent reporting that the heaters may crack, leak, and short circuit.
Which vehicles are affected and how many are on the road?
The core recall covers 116,672 units of 2013–2018 Focus, 2013–2019 Escape, and 2015–2016 MKC vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines and the specific block heater hardware. Company estimates indicate that The Escape accounts for the largest share of the affected fleet, with 65,683 units, while the remaining vehicles are split between the Focus and the Lincoln MKC. Additional reporting on the broader campaign notes that when related models and configurations are counted, Ford Motor is recalling 119,075 vehicles in the U.S., a figure that reflects the total number of vehicles built with the problematic heater design.
Regulatory documents and independent analyses describe the campaign as targeting older compact cars and crossovers that are still widely used in colder regions, where block heaters are more common. The Ford Motor Company recall documentation, summarized in the Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V011, lists the affected Population by model and model year and ties them to the same heater design and wiring layout. Other coverage of the recall of old Focus, Escape, and Lincoln MKC vehicles reinforces that 116,672 examples are subject to the defect, while separate summaries of more than 100,000 recalled vehicles emphasize that Over 100,000 owners are being asked to respond to a fire risk that only appears when the block heater is plugged in.
Documented incidents and the scale of the fire risk
Safety regulators and Ford have linked the wiring fault to real world incidents, including engine compartment fires and property damage, although the precise number of cases is detailed in technical filings rather than public summaries. Reporting on the recall notes that the defect has resulted in burns and damage to at least 20 vehicles, illustrating that the risk is not theoretical. The NHTSA has characterized the issue as a fire hazard that can occur while the vehicle is stationary and connected to external power, which means a fire can start in a driveway or garage without anyone in the vehicle.
Coverage of the recall of more than 119,000 vehicles over engine block heater fire risk explains that the heaters may crack and develop coolant leaks, which then cause short circuits when the block heater is in use. A separate account describing 100,000 vehicles recalled due to risk of catching fire attributes the hazard to a mechanical error that can cause a fire and notes that Ford will provide repairs free of charge. Together, these reports and the underlying Manufacturer Information in federal filings show a consistent pattern: a specific heater design, a known failure mode involving coolant and wiring, and a documented history of fires that prompted regulators and Ford to act.
How Ford and regulators are responding
Ford has told regulators that it will notify owners of affected vehicles and instruct them not to use their block heaters until repairs are completed. The company plans to replace the engine block heater and related wiring with updated components that address the cracking and leakage issues, and in some cases may remove the heater entirely if a safe redesign is not available. According to recall summaries, owners will be able to have this work performed at a dealer at no cost, consistent with the standard approach outlined in the Part 573 Safety Recall Report and echoed in other recall notices where Ford commits to providing that service free of charge.
The NHTSA has assigned a formal recall number to the campaign and is using its recall portal to share details of the defect, the affected Population, and the remedy. The agency’s documentation, including the Page labeled Manufacturer Information and Address for Ford Motor Company, confirms that federal regulators are monitoring the company’s response and owner notification process. Additional reporting on more than 119K vehicles recalled over engine block heater fire risk notes that Ford Motor is coordinating with dealers to ensure parts and procedures are in place, while local coverage by reporters such as Jordan Perkins, who described more than 119,000 vehicles affected, underscores how the recall is being communicated to drivers at the regional level.
What owners should do now
Owners of potentially affected Focus, Escape, and Lincoln MKC vehicles are being urged to stop using their engine block heaters immediately, even before receiving an official recall letter. The most direct way to confirm whether a specific vehicle is included is to check its 17 character Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, against recall databases. Ford and Ford Motor Company advise drivers to enter their VIN on the company’s recall support page, which will show whether the vehicle has any open recalls and whether this block heater campaign applies. The NHTSA recall lookup tool provides a similar VIN based check, allowing owners to verify if their car is part of recall 26V011 or related actions.
Consumer guidance built around other Ford campaigns, such as an instrument cluster recall and an airbag related recall, reinforces the same basic steps: locate the VIN on the dashboard, driver’s side door, or ownership documents, then use official online tools to see if the vehicle is covered. Once a match is confirmed, owners should schedule an appointment with a dealer, where technicians will perform the prescribed repair or replacement at no cost. Until that work is completed, regulators and company notices are clear that block heaters should remain unplugged, since the fire risk is tied specifically to the heater being energized. For drivers in cold climates who rely on these devices, that recommendation is inconvenient, but the documented fires and the recall of 116,672 units make the safety trade off unambiguous.
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