Ford Australia has ceased the sale and delivery of new Ranger and Everest model vehicles immediately, following the discovery of a fault in the high-pressure fuel injectors.

The issue affects the 2.0-litre diesel four-cylinder engine variant of the Ranger, Everest, Endura, Transit and Transit Custom models manufactured between 2 February and 6 August of this year.

Ford was made aware of the defect prior to the first batch of vehicle’s entering the country, with the issue being related to a fault in production at the Kocaeli plant in Turkey.

On 7 October 2019, Ford Australia ordered an immediate suspension of demonstration and delivery of vehicles listed in a dealer bulletin from 30 September. This bulletin identified the following affected vehicles:

• Ranger models built between 2 May and 10 July 2019
• Everest models built between 27 April and 17 September 2019
• Transit Custom models built between 16 March and 10 July 2019
• Transit models built between 20 March and 23 May 2019
• Endura models built between 25 February and 6 August 2019

Ford Communications Director, Australia & New Zealand, Matt Moran, explained that the issue in the brand new vehicles stems from a faulty batch of injectors supplied by Continental.

“Ford has identified a number of faulty diesel fuel injectors in certain vehicles fitted to 2.0-litre EcoBlue engines built from 2 February and 6 August 2019,” said Moran.

“The issue has been traced to a batch of high-pressured injectors supplied by Continental that do not meet specification. The issue could lead to a misfire and reduced engine performance in affected vehicles. In total 2,115 vehicles are affected in Australia. Any customer experiencing issues with their vehicle is encouraged to visit their dealer or call 13 FORD.”

Numerous affected vehicles have already been delivered to owners prior to the announcement to cease sales. However, Moran wanted to make it clear that this is not a safety recall notice, but rather a dealer-notified service action.

“This is a dealer-notified service action, not a safety recall. On impacted vehicles, customers may experience occasional misfires that have a negative impact on engine performance, but it does not lead to a sudden loss of power.

“Safety is nevertheless our top priority and given that any reduction in engine performance is undesirable, we are working to resolve the issue and repair impacted vehicles as quickly as possible.”

Original source: Caravan Camping Sales | Ford stops sales of four-pot Ranger and Everest

29 Oct 2019