Ford is issuing a recall for nearly 273,000 vehicles due to a potential battery defect that could cause a loss of drive power while on the road.
The recall affects 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sports and 2022-2023 Ford Maverick pickups.
The problem stems from a manufacturing defect that can lead to sudden battery degradation, potentially causing a vehicle to lose power while driving, reported NPR. This issue could result in hazards such as the loss of important functions like hazard lights or the vehicle stalling when coming to a stop.
In some cases, drivers may be unable to restart their vehicle after the engine shuts off automatically, as might happen when waiting at a stoplight.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was notified of this issue, and Ford has committed to fixing the problem for free as part of the recall.
The company has advised drivers to check if their vehicle is affected by visiting NHTSA’s official website or using the “SaferCar” app, which allows owners to track safety recalls. This proactive approach aims to ensure that affected drivers can have the necessary repairs made at no cost. The recall is a response to a discovery Ford made after a larger recall last year related to power loss in some vehicles.
The issue was initially identified during a recall last year when Ford found problems in onboard computers that monitored the 12-volt battery in some vehicles. This recalibration was expected to resolve the power loss issue, but after implementing the fix, drivers still reported problems with their vehicle batteries. Upon further investigation, Ford determined that batteries from a particular supplier had manufacturing defects causing the degradation.
While only about 1% of the batteries are expected to be affected, the company has decided to replace all the batteries from that supplier with higher-quality alternatives.