DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. executive’s auto protection regulator has ended a 2 1/2-year investigation into Ford engine disasters after the corporate changed engines or prolonged the guaranty on some automobiles. The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Protection Management says in paperwork posted Monday on its web page that its research traced the issue to consumption valves that may fracture inside of some 2.7-liter and 3-liter turbocharged engines. Paperwork say the probe opened in Might of 2022 ended up protecting greater than 411,000 automobiles from the 2021 and 2022 type years together with the Ford F-150 Bronco, Edge and Explorer in addition to the Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus.The company used to be having a look into catastrophic engine disasters brought about through consumption valves fracturing, losing into the cylinder and hitting the piston.The paperwork say a forensic research of fractured valves discovered that once the they have been made through a portions provider, the temperature were given too top, making them brittle and more likely to fracture all through standard engine use.
An research of failure document knowledge discovered that the inaccurate valves have been produced from Might thru October of 2021, the company mentioned. Ford contended that now not all valves produced all through this era have been inaccurate and {that a} overwhelming majority of the disasters came about ahead of the automobiles have been pushed 20,000 miles.
An company statistical research to expect the selection of disasters, and an research of failure experiences “are usually constant” with Ford’s choice that the valves would fail at low mileage, and nearly all of automobiles with the inaccurate valves “have already skilled a failure,” the company mentioned.
Previous this yr Ford recalled about 91,000 automobiles with valves made all through the suspect duration. They’ll be examined and get a brand new engine if important. The corporate additionally prolonged the guaranty on automobiles with valves made all through the duration to ten years or 150,000 miles, the paperwork mentioned.Throughout the investigation, the company mentioned it discovered 396 buyer court cases, 825 guaranty claims and 936 engine replacements. There have been no reported crashes or accidents.
