Ford is recalling a small number of trucks and SUVs in the U.S. because a misaligned tool on the assembly line could see their engines develop an oil leak that could evacuate the lubricant from the crankcase in a hurry. The problem specifically affects some 2,418 examples of the 2024- and 2025-model-year Ford F-150, Ford Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator equipped with the 3.5-litre “EcoBoost” V6 engines, and more specifically ones built between mid-September 2024 and early October. It’s unclear how many, if any, trucks are affected in Canada.
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In some of these affected vehicles, the “engine cup plug at the rear of the engine” may be misaligned, says the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “which can result in a rapid oil leak.” The plugs may have been incorrectly installed on the assembly line, as the machine used to install them was misaligned for several days. If the misaligned plug gets loose and falls out the side of the engine block, it’s safe to say a whole bunch of oil is liable to leave with it. If this happens, it’s possible for the engine to stall, or for the oil to catch fire if it leaks onto a hot engine or exhaust component.
As Ford notes, though, what owners should look for is the low-oil-pressure warning light coming on their dashboard, or perhaps a burning smell or white smoke. The defect hasn’t lead to any actual incidents with customer-owned vehicles, as far as Ford knows, and the problem was instead figured out by inspectors on the assembly line.
Owners of affected vehicles are asked to take their Ford to their dealership, which will inspect the plug and replace it if necessary. The Ford internal code for the recall is 24S70.
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