Hearth Record

Equipment: electrical: engine block heater (Ford and Lincoln)

Vehicle recall 25V-685. NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Oct 10, 2025.

NHTSA’s own record, on nhtsa.gov

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The short answer

NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Oct 10, 2025. Copied from NHTSA on Oct 28, 2026.

Every line below is in NHTSA’s own words, with its source beside it.

What’s wrong with it?

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles.

The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated daily.

  • NHTSA’s part: Equipment: electrical: engine block heater.

What should you do?

Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated daily.

  • Check a vehicle by its VIN at NHTSA: the recalls still open on it are listed there.

Which ones are recalled?

NHTSA counts 59,006 vehicles potentially involved, across everything this recall names.

Each model year opens its own page: every recall naming it, its owner complaints and its crash ratings.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated daily.

Who is recalling it?

  • Made by Ford Motor Company.
Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated daily.

What the record doesn’t say

  • NHTSA’s recall file doesn’t say whether anyone was hurt. Owners’ complaints are counted on each vehicle’s page.
  • Whether one vehicle or seat has been fixed: only its maker, or NHTSA’s lookup with a VIN, can say.
  • How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Source:

Hearth Record wrote these lines.

Sources

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010).

    Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Oct 28, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Source:

Vehicle, car seat, tire and vehicle equipment recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Copied on Oct 28, 2026.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

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Every fact names its source.

Who published it, when, and how often it changes sit beside each fact, with a link to the agency’s own file.

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