327K Ford F-Series pickups recalled again for potential fire hazard
Ford issued a recall for the same trucks in December for a different fire hazard
Ford is recalling 327,000 F-Series pickup trucks in North America — for a second time — to fix problems that can cause fires.
The company is recalling them to fix problems with engine block heater cables.
Ford says it knows of one fire in the U.S. and two fires in Canada in trucks that could be related to the problem.
The problem started with a previous recall inspection, when the company recalled 874,000 trucks because water and contaminants can get into the cables and cause corrosion. That issue can cause electrical shorts and fires.
During that recall process, the inspections may have inadvertently damaged the cables. Around 327,000 owners took their trucks to dealers for an inspection.
In this recall to fix the engine heater cables, dealers will disable the cables by cutting the prongs that go into electrical outlets.
All owners will get new cables when the parts become available.
Ford is working with parts suppliers to get the cables as soon as possible, according to spokesperson Monique Brentley. however, the available date for the new cables is unknown.
"We are advising people not to use their engine block heater cable," said Brentley.
The recall covers F-150s from 2015 through 2019, as well as Super Duty trucks from 2017 through 2019.
The fire risk only exists when the cables are plugged in.
Engine block heater cables are plugged into electrical outlets or extension cords to keep oil and anti-freeze warm in extremely cold temperatures. They are used largely in the northern U.S. and Canada.