Ford Motor Company has announced a recall affecting 273,789 SUVs due to the risk of brake failure, according to a report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 9. The recall involves the 2022–2024 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models, though it is estimated that only about 1 percent of these vehicles could actually be impacted by the defect.
This new recall follows another issued less than a month ago, which covered more than 123,000 2017–2018 Lincoln Navigators, Ford Expeditions, and F-150 trucks for a related problem.
According to NHTSA, affected vehicles may have a front brake line that comes into contact with the engine air cleaner outlet pipe. This contact could lead to a brake line leak, making it harder for the vehicle to stop and increasing the risk of an accident. The issue is believed to stem from a bend in the brake line that may have occurred during engine installation.
Ford began investigating after noticing a rise in brake system warranty claims for Lincoln Navigators in February. So far, the automaker is not aware of any crashes or injuries linked to the defect.
Owners of impacted vehicles are encouraged to bring their cars to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for inspection. Dealers will replace the brake line or the air cleaner outlet pipe as needed, and Ford has stated it will reimburse customers who have already paid for repairs related to this issue.
Dealers received official notification about the defect on May 14, while owners are set to be notified between May 26 and May 30. This latest recall comes shortly after NHTSA launched an investigation into nearly 1.3 million F-150 trucks following reports of unexpected gear downshifts.
