{"id":10808,"date":"2025-11-27T09:19:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10808"},"modified":"2025-11-25T14:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T18:38:04","slug":"battery-cell-problems-in-ford-escape-lincoln-corsair-plug-in-hybrids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10808","title":{"rendered":"Battery Cell Problems In Ford Escape &amp; Lincoln Corsair Plug-In Hybrids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ford has decided that a safety defect exists involving the high-voltage battery packs inside certain plug-in hybrid vehicles\u2014specifically the <strong>2020\u20132024 Ford Escape PHEV<\/strong> and <strong>2021\u20132024 Lincoln Corsair PHEV<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0At the center of the issue is a <strong>manufacturing defect inside one or more battery cells<\/strong>, which can lead to an <strong>internal short circuit<\/strong> and, in the worst cases, <strong>battery thermal venting or vehicle shutdown<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This problem originally surfaced years ago, was addressed by a previous recall, and now\u2014based on new field data\u2014Ford has determined that the prior fix may not have been enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Causing the Problem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside the high-voltage battery pack, each cell has a separator layer that keeps the <strong>cathode<\/strong> and <strong>anode<\/strong> apart. If this thin separator layer becomes damaged, the cell can short internally.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ford, its engineering teams, and the battery cell supplier have all pointed to <strong>variability in the supplier\u2019s production process<\/strong> as the likely cause. This inconsistency may lead to small imperfections or weaknesses in the separator layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the separator is compromised, the result can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Internal short circuits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of propulsion power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Battery overheating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thermal venting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potential vehicle fire<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford has not yet identified the complete root cause. Tear down investigations are still ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Safety Risks: What Can Happen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If a battery cell shorts internally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Loss of Motive Power While Driving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The vehicle may suddenly shut down its propulsion system.<br>A red <strong>\u201cStop Safely Now\u201d<\/strong> warning appears on the instrument cluster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although steering, braking, and lights still work, a sudden loss of acceleration dramatically increases <strong>crash and injury risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Battery Thermal Venting \/ Fire Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A shorted cell can overheat and vent hot gas, which can ignite surrounding components.<br>This is a <strong>significant safety hazard<\/strong>, particularly if venting occurs during or after charging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To date, Ford reports <strong>no injuries or accidents<\/strong> connected to this defect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Look Back: The 24V-954 \/ 24S79 Recall<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford already attempted to fix this issue once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In December 2024, Ford approved recall <strong>24V-954 (Ford) \/ 24S79 (Lincoln)<\/strong>, which rolled out the following remedy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Updated Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) software<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Added enhanced detection of battery cell anomalies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stopped battery charging automatically if anomalies were detected<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alerted owners through messages in the instrument cluster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This fix was intended to catch separator-layer damage before it caused a short circuit.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, new field reports show this strategy was not always effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Turning Point: New Thermal Venting Cases in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>July\u2013August 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Three European Ford Kuga PHEV vehicles (the Kuga is the European variant of the Escape PHEV) experienced <strong>battery thermal venting<\/strong> <strong>even AFTER receiving the recall software update<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>September 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Two more cases surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>August\u2013October 2025 Investigation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford\u2019s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) opened a formal investigation on <strong>August 27, 2025<\/strong>.<br>Recovered battery packs and control modules showed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No detectable anomalies before venting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Significant thermal damage making root-cause confirmation difficult<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The updated software did NOT trigger any warnings prior to failure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, tear down analysis from other replaced battery packs (those that <em>were<\/em> flagged by the software and did <em>not<\/em> vent) has not yet identified a definitive cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>As of November 5, 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>7 total venting incidents<\/strong>, all from European Kuga PHEV vehicles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All had already received the 24V-954 software update<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No injuries or accidents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>November 7, 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford approved a <strong>new field action<\/strong>\u2014leading to today\u2019s recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The New Recall: 25SC4 (Ford) \/ 25V-789 (NHTSA)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of the new cases, Ford has issued a new recall to replace the old one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Affected Vehicles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2020\u20132024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2021\u20132024 Lincoln Corsair Plug-In Hybrid<\/strong><br>(These vehicles were previously included in recall 24V-954.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ford\u2019s New Instructions to Owners<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Until the final fix is ready, Ford advises:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Only use Auto EV mode<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limit the maximum charge of the high-voltage battery<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for mailed instructions and further updates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Interim owner letters are scheduled to go out <strong>December 1, 2025<\/strong>, detailing the safety risks and how to limit battery charging.&nbsp;&nbsp;A second letter will follow once a permanent remedy is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Final Remedy Is Still Under Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford has not yet determined what the permanent fix will look like\u2014likely because the underlying defect is still not fully understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford\u2019s latest recall highlights an unresolved and potentially serious defect in the high-voltage battery cells used in its Escape and Corsair plug-in hybrid models. The original software-based solution from 2024 was not enough to catch every instance of cell separator damage, and new thermal-venting cases have forced Ford to develop a more comprehensive fix.&nbsp;&nbsp;Until that final remedy is completed, owners must limit charging, follow Ford\u2019s interim instructions, and watch for important recall notices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ford has decided that a safety defect exists involving the high-voltage battery packs inside certain plug-in hybrid vehicles\u2014specifically the 2020\u20132024 Ford Escape PHEV and 2021\u20132024 Lincoln Corsair PHEV.\u00a0\u00a0At the center of the issue is a manufacturing defect inside one or more battery cells, which can lead to an internal short circuit and, in the worst&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10808\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,145,45,1317,723],"tags":[1599,1651],"class_list":["post-10808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","category-california-lemon-law","category-electric-cars","category-ford","category-lemon-alert","category-lincoln-recalls","tag-battery-overheat","tag-phev-battery-failure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10808"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10813,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10808\/revisions\/10813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}