Someone’s in a lot of trouble because one uncertified worker at one of Lincoln’s suppliers is being blamed for the entirety of a recall involving 585 Aviators.
The issue affects plug-in hybrid Aviators made between September 18, 2021, and December 13, 2021, that were made with an inlet charge port bus bar harness that can become unseated. That’s because those vehicles were supplied with a part that was worked on by an “uncertified operator” who “did not follow the correct production process.” Whoops.
Although the worker was only responsible for 283 harnesses, Ford (which owns Lincoln) wasn’t able to trace the suspect harnesses to specific VINs. It did, at least, find out on what days they were installed.
Read Also: Ford Recalls 1,400 Explorer And Lincoln Aviators From The 2020-2021MY Over Loose Motor Mounts
The issue is more than just a simple goof-up, though, because it can lead to some serious consequences for Aviator drivers. If the port bus bar becomes unseated while driving, it could lead to a diagnostic trouble code and may lead to a loss of power.
If the part fails, the wrench light will illuminate and, when the vehicle speed drops to 2 mph (3.2 km/h), the SUV will display a “Stop Safely Now” message on the instrument panel and it will lose motive power, which could increase the risk of a crash.
Starting on April 18, Ford will start notifying customers, asking them to return to their local service center in order to have the inlet charge port harness date code label inspected. Harnesses built during the suspect period will be replaced free of charge.
