2013 Ford Escape Models Recalled for Engine Fire Risk

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 3, 2012

Ford Motor Company recently issued an announcement that all owners of 2013 Ford Escape sports utility vehicles equipped with four-cylinder 1.6-liter motors should stop driving them immediately due to a fire risk in the engine compartment. Ford has acknowledged that a fuel line could split and leak, causing leaking fuel to come in contact with hot engine parts and ignite. Ford says the recall affects around 11,500 Escape models, mostly sold in Canada and the U.S. Many of the Escape models affected by the recall are still at dealerships, but around 4,800 have been sold to customers. Escape owners are advised to contact their local Ford dealership immediately so that loaner vehicles can be arranged and their Escapes can be picked up and taken to the dealership for repair.

Ford dealers have also been ordered to stop selling 2013 Escape models until the fire risk has been repaired. Ordering customers to stop driving their new vehicles immediately is a very rare step for automakers to take, and this suggests the severity of the fire risk.

Ford spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel recently issued a statement in which she said, "This is not a routine action that we are taking but we do believe it is appropriate in these circumstances."

Ford has acknowledged three incidents of fuel lines splitting and causing engine fires. Two of these incidents occurred at the plant where the Escapes were manufactured as they were shuttled from the assembly line to a parking lot, and the third occurred in a customer’s vehicle near Toronto. Zwiebel reported that Ford is not aware of any injuries in connection with the engine fires.

This is the second recall to affect 2013 Ford Escape models. Ford recently issued another recall to Escape owners to correct improper positioning of floor carpeting that could reduce clearance of the brake pedal.

Are you or a close family member the owner of a 2013 Ford Escape? If so, Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham strongly urges you to follow Ford’s instructions and not drive the vehicle until the engine fire hazard has been fixed. If you have been injured by a fire in an Escape or by any other product defect and you would like to speak with an Orlando product liability lawyer about your legal options, call Mr. Cunningham today at 800-425-2004 to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.