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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 25V685000
NHTSA campaign 25V685000 · manufacturer recall 25SA4

2016–2024 Ford and Lincoln: equipment recall

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

critical 59,006 vehicles affected

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem 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. Risk An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire. Fix 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.

Reported to NHTSA Oct 10, 2025 by Ford Motor Company.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

An electrical short circuit from the cracked block heater can cause a fire, and Ford/NHTSA explicitly advised owners not to plug in the block heater until remedied, which is effectively a stop-use order for that component.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 25V685000

Vehicles built Oct 20, 2014 to Dec 28, 2024 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2021 Ford BroncoCompact SUVF20
2022 Ford BroncoCompact SUVF23
2023 Ford BroncoCompact SUVF18
2024 Ford BroncoCompact SUVF16
2021 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF16
2022 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF15
2023 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF14
2024 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF8
2020 Ford EscapeCompact SUVF25
2021 Ford EscapeCompact SUVF21
2022 Ford EscapeCompact SUVF21
2016 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF14
2017 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF14
2018 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF7
2020 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF35
2021 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF27
2022 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF25
2023 Ford ExplorerLarge SUVF15
2019 Ford FusionMidsize SedanD4
2020 Ford FusionMidsize SedanD3
2022 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF29
2023 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF22
2024 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF16
2019 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckF11
2020 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckD7
2021 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckD6
2022 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckD5
2023 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckD4
2024 Ford RangerLarge Pickup truckF13
2020 Lincoln CorsairCompact SUVF16
2021 Lincoln CorsairCompact SUVF23
2022 Lincoln CorsairCompact SUVF20
2016 Lincoln MKCCompact SUVF5
2017 Lincoln MKCCompact SUVD3
2018 Lincoln MKCCompact SUVD4
2019 Lincoln MKCCompact SUVD3

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 25V685000 · the manufacturer calls it 25SA4

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is 25SA4 the same recall as 25V685000?

Yes. 25SA4 is the number Ford Motor Company uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 25V685000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Oct 20, 2014 to Dec 28, 2024. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. This campaign was filed without a repair available — Ford Motor Company says so in the text above, and expected one by December 2026.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.