Back in 2018, Ford issued a recall of the Focus that related to a flaw that could cause the engine to stall. Now, regulators are looking into whether or not that recall actually worked, following reports of continued issues from owners.
The recall related to the 2012-2018 Ford Focus equipped with the 2.0-liter GDI and the 2.0-liter GTDI engines. Documents published at the time show that the malfunction affected a total of 1,282,596 vehicles.
The problem revolved around the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) that could become stuck open and the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software that was not aware of the error. That could throw the engine’s air-fuel ratio out of whack, leading to a loss of power.
Read: Feds Question Effectiveness Of Ford Mustang Mach-E Recall Following Reports Of Continued Problems
If that were to happen, drivers might notice a malfunction light in their dashboard, as well as “erratic fuel gauge readings.” In the worst case scenario, the excess of vacuum, in the fuel vapor management system could even lead to the fuel tank deforming.
When it announced the recall, Ford proposed a solution that involved reprogramming the PCM to feature new software that would detect a CPV malfunction and prevent excessive fuel vapor system vacuum to avoid stalling the engine.
However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now opened a “Recall Query,” because it has received “98 consumer complaints alleging CPV failure” in these same vehicles. These failures are occurring in vehicles that were either included in the recall or were not included in Ford’s recall. As such, the regulator says that it has opened this investigation to assess the scope of Ford’s recall remedy.
Ford was the manufacturer with the most recalls in the first half of 2023, and NHTSA has opened two inquiries into the efficacy of its previous recalls since June.
