Leaky Turbos, Unsecured Fuel Tanks Complete Today's Ford Recalls

by Matt Posky

Published: December 22nd, 2016

leaky turbos unsecured fuel tanks complete today s ford recalls

Ford Motor Company has issued two safety-related recalls for around 9,400 North American vehicles, with both issues posing a fire risk.

The automaker is ordering back over 8,000 2017 Super Duty trucks that lack proper fuel tank strap reinforcements, in addition to roughly 1,300 other vehicles equipped with 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines.

Both safety issues carry an increased risk of fire for the affected units. Ford claims it is not currently aware of any fires, accidents or injuries related to the problems.

Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes were installed on 1,352 vehicles using Ford’s 3.5-liter GTDI engine, resulting in a poor fit that could leak engine oil onto the turbo and surrounding components. The company is concerned that, with the presence of an ignition source, the lubricant could start a fire. The affected models include 2016 Ford Taurus sedans, 2016-17 Flex crossovers, 2017 Explorers or Police Interceptor Utilities, and 2016-17 Lincoln MKT SUVs.

About 1,157 are in the U.S., while 126 are in Canada. Six more are in federalized territories.

The affected 2017 Super Duty trucks are missing reinforcement brackets that could lead to a fuel tank strap breaking away from the frame. The problem could cause the front of the fuel tank to make contact with the ground — damaging the tank and creating a fire hazard stemming from a fuel leak.

Affected vehicles include approximately 8,069 Ford Super Duty pickups assembled at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant between August 10, 2016 and September 17, 2016. Of the recalled units, 7,103 are in the United States, 964 more in Canada, and two are in federalized territories.

Ford dealers will install the correct parts for both recalls free of charge.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]

#2017SuperDuty #Ford #FordMotorCompany #Recall #Safety

Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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21 comments

Steve Biro on Dec 22, 2016

That stupid piece of chrome trim below the A pillar is reason enough for a recall. Ford tried the same thing on the Escort a few years ago. Hideous... as is the grill assembly. I blame Dodge/Ram for this. They started the cartoon-truck movement and Americans, generally lacking taste, simply couldn't help themselves.

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- See 1 previous
- Drzhivago138 on Dec 22, 2016
  
  Just for you: http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/582/861/e26.jpg
  
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- Hydromatic on Dec 23, 2016
  
  @Drzhivago138 That was completely unnecessary.
  
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Whitworth on Dec 22, 2016

Remember when we were told that making every engine turbocharged instead of naturally aspirated would have no penalties in the overall reliability of the engine? That it had now all been figured out? That we were a bunch of Luddites that just hated technology? Good times

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- Ion on Dec 22, 2016
  
  I'm sure no NA engine has ever been recalled for an oil leak before.
  
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- Whitworth on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Ion Not for turbos leaking, that's for sure.
  
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- Lou_BC on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @whitworth The turbo's aren't leaking. Just the improperly brazed oil supply tubes.
  
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- Whitworth on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Lou_BC You're splitting hairs. It's like saying the cooling system isn't leaking, it's the water pump that's leaking. The oil lines are an integral part of the turbocharger system and all this added complexity is why many people had concerns about automakers switching over to turbocharged engines all to comply with silly CAFE standards when the end consumer gets shafted with rounding error mpg gains and less reliable drivetrains.
  
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- Fordson on Dec 22, 2016
  
  Well, I owned a 2007 Toyota Sienna that had a recall for a rubber oil line that ran outside the block, and supplied oil to the VVTi variable valve timing system. It would rupture and you would be looking at new heads or a new engine, due to starvation and the fact that the oil pressure sending unit was poorly situated to react fast enough to trigger an oil pressure light to allow the operator to prevent engine damage. Also, there were a lot of fits and starts...many reports of the updated oil line not doing the trick. They eventually came up with a metal supply line. This Ford turbo oil line issue was on 1,352 vehicles over a one-year window. The Toyota recall was for 1.6 million vehicles over four model years, 2005-2009. This was for Toyota, that paragon of conservative drivetrain design, and was of course for naturally-aspirated engines.
  
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- Heavy handle on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Lou_BC Whit, If somebody ever got you to believe that turbos would solve all reliability problems, they had you marked as a sucker. Sorry to say. Judging from the tone of your comments however, I bet you made that up just to confirm your bias against turbos. If anything, this recall confirms my bias against Ford's brazing, so we are in the same boat!
  
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- Scoutdude on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Fordson Don't forget some of those external oil lines on Toyota engines were there because the internal passage they had originally designed was coking up and blocking off flow.
  
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- Lou_BC on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @whitworth - could have easily been a rad hose or a fuel line. Oh and in your example, the water pump is the main part of the cooling system. The water pump leaking would be comparable to a turbo leaking. We often see failures in simple components since the Q&A is less stringent than on that of a complex part. Better luck next time.
  
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- Fordson on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Scoutdude Yup. So, piggyback design fail...from Toyota...N/A engine.
  
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- Raph on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Ion Well speaking of Ford... the GT350 had a recall right now for the oil cooler hoses. The collars that retain the fittings aren't providing enough clamping force to retain the fitting and some GT350s are burning to the ground.
  
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- Whitworth on Dec 22, 2016
  
  Lou_BC, You don't think an oil supply line to the turbo journal bearing is an integral part of a turbocharger? It's clear you understand very little about engines. I guess if the actual turbo blades don't come apart, it doesn't count as a "turbo problem." Another Ford screw up. We were told all the EcoBust were figured out.
  
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- Lou_BC on Dec 22, 2016
  
  @Lou_BC whitworth - oil supply to the turbo is critical but then again a loss of oil supply to any part of an engine can be potentially catastrophic. To follow your example, I could say the lungs are at fault when someone dies of a crushed trachea.
  
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- OldManPants on Dec 23, 2016
  
  @raph "some GT350s are burning to the ground" Short trip.
  
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- PrincipalDan on Dec 23, 2016
  
  @OldManPants some GT350s are burning to the ground Therefore increasing the rareness of other GT350s! Hooray for the guys who keep theirs in the garage in hermetically sealed bags!
  
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- EBFlex on Dec 23, 2016
  
  @Lou_BC "The turbo’s aren’t leaking." Leaky Turbos, Unsecured Fuel Tanks Complete Today’s Ford Recalls. Hmmm........
  
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Jacob_coulter on Dec 22, 2016

Here come the Ford fanboys telling us that Ford has never had a quality control problem, in fact, it's Toyota that has all the quality control problems! I bet those early customers are really glad they went with the 5.0L instead of this 3.5 turbo charged monstrosity. It has had so many issues. Ford can't do turbos or diesels, look at their track record with the 6.7l Powerstroke diesels. Absolute nightmares. At least they didn't pair them to Ford's famous CVT or dual clutch PowerShift automatic.

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Lou_BC on Dec 22, 2016

6.7L POWER STROKE PROBLEMS "COMMON 6.7L POWER STROKE PROBLEMS & CONCERNS Most problems with the 6.7L Power Stroke are isolated incidents - failures or faults experienced by a low percentage of owners, particularly on early engines. While issues are expected from a clean-slate engine, especially one as advanced as the 6.7L Power Stroke, there have been very few common issues with Ford's new diesel platform."

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