Ford has announced a recall affecting 90,736 vehicles due to a potential issue with engine intake valves, which could break while driving, leading to engine failure. This recall, confirmed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Saturday, August 31, impacts specific 2021-2022 models, including the Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator, all equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine.

According to documents released by the NHTSA, “The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.” The problem was identified after an investigation initiated by Ford in January 2022, which found 22 cases where intake valves fractured and entered the engine’s combustion chamber, causing severe engine damage.

Ford’s analysis attributes the issue to intake valves that exceeded design specifications for hardness, making them more brittle and prone to fracture. The automaker traced this problem to the supplier’s grinding processes, which were not within the controlled specifications. Ford has since updated the intake valve material for vehicles manufactured after October 31, 2021, to address this issue.

To resolve the problem, Ford will replace the entire engine if necessary. Dealers will inspect affected vehicles to determine the cumulative number of engine cycles. For those that don’t meet the required engine cycle threshold, dealers will follow a procedure to accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles. If a vehicle fails this accumulation test, the engine will be replaced, ensuring the safety and reliability of the affected models.

For more information, and to check if your vehicle is included in this recall, visit: https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/.