Investigation into engine failures at Ford ends after more than two years; warranties extended

An investigation into more than 411,000 SUVs and pickups from Ford and Lincoln that had a possible engine defect that caused the vehicles to lose power has been closed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. This was stated in a report on Monday.

The regulator began investigating Ford Bronco vehicles equipped with 2.7-liter EcoBoost engines in July 2022. The safety administration then expanded the investigation to include 2021 and 2022 model year Ford Edge, F-150, Explorer and Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus vehicles that used 2.7 liter or 3.0 liter EcoBoost engines.

The agency suspected the engines had a defective valve train, but Ford determined that not all valves failed during the peak period and that reported failures occurred on vehicles with short operating times, according to the report.

Most incidents reportedly occurred before 20,000 miles, with more than half occurring before 3,000 miles.

The agency said the results of its analysis primarily matched Ford’s assessment, implying that most of the failures involving faulty valves have already occurred, the report said.

Ford extends warranty for 90,000 recalled vehicles

Ford initiated a recall in August for 90,736 vehicles equipped with ‘Nano’ engines and produced between May 2021 and October 2021. On Monday, the manufacturer announced it would extend warranty coverage for the recalled vehicles for 10 years or 150,000 miles, depending whichever occurs first.

The August 23 recall urged users to take affected vehicles to a Ford/Lincoln dealer for engine cycle life inspection. Vehicles that did not meet the required threshold were further inspected for possible ineffective intake valves and offered an engine replacement.

Vehicles produced after October 2021 are equipped with a different intake valve material, according to Ford.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed that there has been a decrease in reported failures due to valve failures since November 2021.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Investigation into engine failures at Ford ends, warranties are extended