Major car brand recalls more than 270,000 vehicles in US over new battery failure fears - see the full list of models
Ford Motor is recalling 272,817 cars across the US over new battery failure concerns, it has emerged.
The recall affects certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport SUVs and 2022-2023 Maverick trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Officials warn the vehicles' 12-volt battery may experience degradation and suddenly fail, which can result in a loss of electrical accessories, including the hazard lights.
The failure could also cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The NHTSA says letters notifying owners of impacted vehicles should be sent out on February 3.
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the 12-volt battery free of charge.
Ford Motor is recalling 272,817 cars across the US over new battery failure concerns, it has emerged
Ford recalled 457,000 Bronco Sports and Mavericks in April last year over concerns of a sudden loss of power.
The company came under fire in November after the government unveiled two investigations into Ford recalls that may not have worked or covered enough vehicles.
The largest of the probes involved April's recall of 2021-2024 Bronco Sports and 2022-2023 Mavericks.
The other probe covered about 113,000 Ford Expeditions from 2019-2020. Ford recalled about 78,000 of the SUVs in February last year because the driver and front passenger seat belts can tighten up and hold people with no crash apparent.
Ford was also hit with a fine of $165million in November for moving too slowly on a recall and failing to give the NHTSA accurate recall information.
The agency said the civil penalty is the second-largest in its 54-year history. Only the fine Takata paid for faulty air bag inflators was higher.
Thursday's recall affects certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport SUVs and 2022-2023 Maverick trucks. Pictured: A Ford Bronco is displayed at a Florida dealership in January 2023
Thursday's recall, which includes Bronco Sport SUVs and Maverick trucks, comes just weeks after Ford recalled 20,484 hybrid crossover SUVs - also over battery concerns.
The motor company recalled select Ford Escape and luxury Lincoln Corsair vehicles from model years 2020 to 2024 on December 31.
'A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure,' the NHTSA said at the time.
Dealers will perform a battery energy control module software update on impacted vehicles and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, for free.
