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Ford and Lincoln Block Heater Fire Risk
critical How serious is it? About this label
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 25V685000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Oct 10, 2025 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Part affected | Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater |
| Vehicles covered | 28 model/year combinations, model years 2018–2024 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
In certain Ford and Lincoln vehicles, the engine block heater can crack and develop a coolant leak. If the block heater is plugged in when this happens, it can short circuit.
What you should do
2. Do not plug in your block heater until it is repaired, and contact a dealer, or call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
3. The dealer will replace the block heater, or install a blanking plug and remove the cord, free of charge.
Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?
Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 25V685000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (28)
Show all 28 vehicles
Who to contact
Ford — official Ford recall lookup
Customer service: 1-866-436-7332
Lincoln — official Lincoln recall lookup
Customer service: 1-866-436-7332
The bigger picture
- Ford Equipment Recalls Cover Block Heaters, Cameras, and Labels · all 16 Ford recalls in this area
- Lincoln Equipment Recalls Cover Block Heaters and Missing Safety Information · all 3 Lincoln recalls in this area
Other Ford Explorer recalls
- Jul 21, 2026Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator Seats May Reclinemedium
- Jul 14, 2026Ford Explorer Roof Rail Covers May Detachhigh
- Jul 14, 2026Ford, Lincoln Second-Row Seats May Shift Unexpectedlyhigh
- Jun 24, 2026Ford, Lincoln SUVs: Transmission Park System May Failhigh
- Jun 9, 2026Ford Explorer Park System May Fail, Rollaway Riskhigh
- May 27, 2026Ford Explorer Engine May Fail Suddenlyhigh
Official notice
- Component
- EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
- Safety risk
- An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.