So it happened😢…..

[Bronco Blue]

It sounds like the drain system worked as planned. You smelled the fuel ported overboard, but you got no fire. I'd say your case is a good testimonial for anyone wondering if the recall is worth the hassle to get it done.

Yeah but it didn’t alert them of the leak like it should have. I thought that was the purpose of the software update was to alert the driver of a possible leak and to pull over right away.

I’m not saying don’t get the recall done, I’m just saying if it’s not alerting the driver of a leak, then it’s obviously not doing what it’s fully intended to do. Like if you’re driving in a high traffic area, how would you know if it’s your car that smells like gas and not the person next to you, if the system isn’t giving off a warning like it’s designed to do. People shouldn’t have to guess if it’s their car or not, especially on busy highways.

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[Dude]

Do we know that Ford is using a different model for replacement injectors? I've not read that anywhere.

@Mark S. EDITED:
Ford will replace fuel injector that does crack (one time). I found no info stating the replacement fuel injector is from a different manufacturer or a different design (I had read that aspect in a class action lawsuit which I cannot confirm is accurate)

See the reference to “customer satisfaction program 22N18 (to be released in January 2023)”:
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Ford/22S73

“Provides a no-cost, one-time replacement (if needed) of all three high-pressure fuel injectors for 15 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first.”

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10233848-0001.pdf

Info was also posted at: Post #18 https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/2-5-million-vehicles-waiting-for-recall-work.8793/page-2

 

[Mark S.]

Yeah but it didn’t alert them of the leak like it should have. I thought that was the purpose of the software update was to alert the driver of a possible leak and to pull over right away.

I suspect the two-strategy nature of the recall accounts for leak severity. If a leak isn't severe the high-pressure pump can maintain system pressure, and therefore wouldn't trigger the driver notification. In this case the drain system is adequate to prevent collection of enough fuel in the engine bay to cause a fire. A leak severe enough that the fuel pump can't maintain pressure will likely also overcome the drain system creating a fire hazard, therefore power output should be immediately curtailed--which also lowers pump pressure and the amount of fuel entering the engine bay--to allow residual fuel to drain away from the engine. This would also necessitate driver notification of the reason for reduced power.

 

[Badtothebone2]

It sounds like the drain system worked as planned. You smelled the fuel ported overboard, but you got no fire. I'd say your case is a good testimonial for anyone wondering if the recall is worth the hassle to get it done.

Yes, it was definitely worth having it done.

 

[TeamTaylorBronco]

So it happened, I started smelling gasoline in the car over the weekend. Dropped Norma(2022 big bend) off at the dealer yesterday. Got the phone call today…..cracked fuel injectors. Dealership is keeping my until the parts are in. Plus side they gave me a loaner until the car is fixed. The staff at Century Ford in Mt. Airy, MD is awesome.
This is the first problem I’ve had with her.

Ugh! Sorry to hear that! We have been calling our dealer about the recall and they keep telling us they don't have parts. Hope you can get it taken care of soon!!! We are with you!

 

[Mark S.]

@Mark S. EDITED:
Ford will replace fuel injector that does crack (one time). I found no info stating the replacement fuel injector is from a different manufacturer or a different design (I had read that aspect in a class action lawsuit which I cannot confirm is accurate)

This is why I have said (and continue to believe) there is no evidence the injectors Ford used in the 1.5L are inferior. If Ford is replacing defective injectors with the same component used at the factory then it must be confident in their quality.

 

[Bronco Blue]

I suspect the two-strategy nature of the recall accounts for leak severity. If a leak isn't severe the high-pressure pump can maintain system pressure, and therefore wouldn't trigger the driver notification. In this case the drain system is adequate to prevent collection of enough fuel in the engine bay to cause a fire. A leak severe enough that the fuel pump can't maintain pressure will likely also overcome the drain system creating a fire hazard, therefore power output should be immediately curtailed--which also lowers pump pressure and the amount of fuel entering the engine bay--to allow residual fuel to drain away from the engine. This would also necessitate driver notification of the reason for reduced power.

Idk why it should depend on severity that the system picks and chooses to warn you of a possible leak. It should just warn you when you have a leak regardless of severity because if you don’t know that your car is leaking fuel, it could get worse. I mean, not everyone is going to be keen to their car to know, and some people wait till it’s too late.

Idk it just goes back to Ford should be replacing these fuel injectors instead of putting a band aid on a problem that doesn’t really fix it because the way you sound if it’s severe enough, it could still cause an engine fire. So to me, this “fix” is not fixing the issue entirely. Again, not saying don’t get the recall, but just saying Ford should be doing more than just slapping a band aid on and being like “eh, good enough.”

 

[Mark S.]

Idk why it should depend on severity that the system picks and chooses to warn you of a possible leak. It should just warn you when you have a leak regardless of severity because if you don’t know that your car is leaking fuel, it could get worse.

Severity is absolutely a factor. Gasoline has a distinctive smell (it's added at the refinery) meant to aid in leak detection. If you can't smell it then the leak isn't bad enough to be a fire hazard.

I keep asking those of you who believe Ford should simply replace the injectors for evidence the injectors Does used are in any way inferior to those used by other manufacturers, but no one has offered any. Replacing the injectors doesn't solve the design problem the recall addresses, so why would Ford replace injectors that are not defective, especially if doing so does not address the identified hazard?

 

[rocks]

Severity is absolutely a factor. Gasoline has a distinctive smell (it's added at the refinery) meant to aid in leak detection. If you can't smell it then the leak isn't bad enough to be a fire hazard.

I keep asking those of you who believe Ford should simply replace the injectors for evidence the injectors Does used are in any way inferior to those used by other manufacturers, but no one has offered any. Replacing the injectors doesn't solve the design problem the recall addresses, so why would Ford replace injectors that are not defective, especially if doing so does not address the identified hazard?

I feel Ford knows what the problem is but it's too expensive to do a fix on every engine. Cheaper to do the repairs of a small percentage of engine problems that happen.

 

[Bronco Blue]

Severity is absolutely a factor. Gasoline has a distinctive smell (it's added at the refinery) meant to aid in leak detection. If you can't smell it then the leak isn't bad enough to be a fire hazard.

I keep asking those of you who believe Ford should simply replace the injectors for evidence the injectors Does used are in any way inferior to those used by other manufacturers, but no one has offered any. Replacing the injectors doesn't solve the design problem the recall addresses, so why would Ford replace injectors that are not defective, especially if doing so does not address the identified hazard?

But no one else is having engine fires from cracked fuel injectors, just Ford as far as I know. There are several companies that make fuel injectors. Ford just picked one that was cheap because let’s be honest, they aren’t spending the money on anything that is better quality that won’t crack. Let me ask you this: Do you think this is recall is an adequate fix that gonna fix the issue?

For me, Ford should be doing a fix that prevents the cracking and the fuel leak instead of like, “oh, we know the leak, but we really don’t care. To help try prevent engine fires on our end to meet NHTSA protocol, let’s install a drain tube and download software that warns of a potential fire. Now your car can still probably catch on fire, the injectors can still crack resulting in fuel leakage, but it’s the least we’re doing and it’s gonna be as you, the owner, your problem now. Good luck!” That leaves a bad taste in my mouth that Ford would rather place a band aid on an issue instead of outright fixing it to prevent it from happening to begin with. Why do I as the consumer have to deal with making sure my car doesn’t leak fuel and catch fire because of a design flaw by the manufacturer? No where did I sign up for that. I’m only supposed to at least provide the usual maintenance, put gas in it, and take care of it so it lasts me a long time. Not worry that my car could potentially leak fuel and catch on fire. That’s bs.

I love my BS, but ever since this recall happened, I’ve been going back and forth if I wanna deal with the trouble of this issue. I don’t want to be traveling down the road and my car starts leaking fuel and then possibly catches on fire and I lose all my belongings, my car, and possibly me, my family, or my friends get hurt. And if it’s in my driveway, it could spread to my family’s cars and possibly the house since it’s a small driveway and I’m not parking my brand new car out on the street for someone to hit. Why should I deal with that because of Ford’s negligence, cheapness, and laziness. My opinion of Ford has gone down drastically.

Ford said it’s the fuel injectors that crack and leak. They said it. They said it was the fuel injectors. If it’s not then idk, do more investigating, but don’t let me play Russian roulette with my car that I use every day to go places. I don’t think a drain tube and a fire alarm program is a proper solution. It feels like a band aid. I don’t want a band aid. I want a permanent and proper fix so I don’t have to worry or think about it. From what you said earlier, it seems like you don’t think this recall is going to stop engine fires, depending on the severity of the leak, so why did Ford think this was a good fix? You should be fixing all not just a small number. That’s ridiculous.

Sorry for the long rant and I’m not trying to argue with you, so please don’t take it like that, but this whole thing just bothers me since I have major anxiety to begin with and ever since this happened, it’s not been good. I want to enjoy my car. I do love my car. It’s what I wanted, but the constant having to be on high alert for possible leaking fuel is ridiculous. Before I got the recall done, I was driving home from work one night on the interstate and I passed an old F-150 that was towing three cars that it shouldn’t have been towing and the way it was towing them was wrong, but I smelled burning. I immediately freaked out and thought it was me. Obviously it wasn’t it was that truck, but still, that’s what I’m left to deal with. That’s what all of us that have the 1.5 Dragon engine have to deal with. It’s not right. Obviously, Ford named this engine properly for what it’s capable of doing by naming it the Dragon, just saying.

 

[Bronco Blue]

I feel Ford knows what the problem is but it's too expensive to do a fix on every engine. Cheaper to do the repairs of a small percentage of engine problems that happen.

Ford is too cheap to do a proper fix. I feel like they’d rather do the minimum as possible by slapping a band aid on it that is approved by the NHTSA and call it a day. It’s honestly ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[Jake10080Guy]

The Injectors aren't cracking on the Fiesta ST Version of this 3CYL engine and that thing has been tuned for 250 hp, We could guess ford got a bad batch of injectors?, but honestly if ford isn't replacing the injectors that's probably because it would be so costly and there's so many of them they'd have to do.

 

[Mark S.]

But no one else is having engine fires from cracked fuel injectors, just Ford as far as I know. There are several companies that make fuel injectors. Ford just picked one that was cheap because let’s be honest, they aren’t spending the money on anything that is better quality that won’t crack.

As has been said many, many, many times on this topic, this recall is not meant to address a faulty component, it's meant to address a faulty design. This point cannot be emphasized enough: ALL FUEL INJECTORS CAN FAIL. It's simply not possible to produce a component with a zero failure rate.

https://chimicles.com/2022-chevy-silverado-fuel-injector-defect-class-action-investigation/

https://mikesforeigncar.com/blog/symptoms-of-bmw-s-faulty-fuel-injector

https://mbparts.mbusa.com/mercedes-sprinter-fuel-injector-problems

The reason you don't hear about other cars experiencing fires from fuel leaks under the hood is because their manufacturers addressed the possibility of under-hood fuel leaks during the design phase by ensuring a path for leaked fuel away from potential combustion sources. Even if Ford replaced all the injectors in all the cars affected by this recall, a certain percentage of the new injectors would also experience failures which could result in a fire. That's because the design fault--under-hood fuel leaks that place raw fuel near a combustion source--would still be present.

Your claim that Ford chose "cheap" injectors--the implication being they are of lower quality than those used by other manufacturers--is entirely speculation. I have seen no evidence of this whatsoever. The fact that some injector failures result in a fire is evidence of an engine design fault, not a poor-quality injector. Evidence of a poor-quality injector would be a higher than average defect rate. So far, after nearly a year of discussion on this forum (and forums dedicated to the other cars affected by the recall) no one has offered any evidence the injectors Ford chose are of inferior quality. If you have it please share it.

This recall is meant to address one issue, and one issue only: What happens when a component failure results in a fuel leak under the hood? In the case of the Bronco Sport 1.5L, fuel from a leaking injector may collect near ignition sources and in quantities great enough to result in a fire. This is the design issue the recall is meant to address. Designers failed to ensure that potential fuel leaks under the hood have a path away from ignition sources.

I do love my car. It’s what I wanted, but the constant having to be on high alert for possible leaking fuel is ridiculous.

Trust is a difficult issue for many people. If I were you I would go back and review all the evidence and data that Ford shared publicly regarding this recall. I'm a pretty skeptical person by nature, but from all I've read it appears that Ford was open and forthright. The question you should be asking when you review the data is:

• How many cars destroyed by fire were confirmed to be related to fuel injectors?
• How many cars that have been repaired under this recall have been destroyed by fire?

If you cannot quell your anxiety by looking at the evidence then the only solution I can see for you is to sell/trade your car. In the meantime, consider that speculation about faulty injectors that propagates out to the wider automotive community serves only to reduce the value of your car.

Let me ask you this: Do you think this is recall is an adequate fix that gonna fix the issue?

Yes, and we have evidence from @Badtothebone2 that it does. Kim's car experienced an injector failure and THERE WAS NO FIRE. That is the issue this recall was meant to address, and it appears to have worked as planned.

 

[hellb0y]

Injectors were redesigned for 2023…
You probably have part # HX7Z9F593A, the updated one is HX7Z9F593E

 

[Mark S.]

Injectors were redesigned for 2023…
You probably have part # HX7Z9F593A, the updated one is HX7Z9F593E

Can you please share your source for this? From what I can see these parts are interchangeable; there is nothing to suggest one superseded another.

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