{"id":10878,"date":"2026-03-02T13:15:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10878"},"modified":"2026-03-13T11:26:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:26:51","slug":"battery-defect-recall-expands-for-ford-escape-and-lincoln-corsair-phev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10878","title":{"rendered":"Battery Defect Recall Expands for Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair PHEV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ford Motor Company has expanded a significant safety recall affecting certain plug-in hybrid vehicles after discovering that additional high-voltage battery cells may be susceptible to failure. The recall impacts thousands of Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles and raises concerns about sudden loss of power and potential fire risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The expanded recall is listed under <strong>NHTSA Campaign Number 26V-091<\/strong>&nbsp;and covers approximately <strong>24,690 vehicles<\/strong> nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Vehicles Are Affected?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The recall applies to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2023\u20132025 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2023\u20132026 Lincoln Corsair Plug-In Hybrid<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These vehicles may contain high-voltage battery cells manufactured before updated supplier quality controls were implemented in October 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;This action expands earlier recalls addressing the same underlying battery defect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Battery Problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), certain high-voltage battery cells may develop an <strong>internal short circuit<\/strong> due to manufacturing variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigators determined that inconsistencies during battery production may create microscopic defects inside the battery cell. These defects can damage the separator layer between the cathode and anode \u2014 a critical safety component designed to prevent internal electrical contact.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the separator becomes compromised, the battery cell may fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Safety Risks Associated With the Defect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A battery internal short circuit can lead to serious safety issues, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sudden shutdown of the vehicle\u2019s propulsion system<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Display of a <strong>\u201cStop Safely Now\u201d warning message<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of motive power while driving<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Battery thermal venting<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased risk of <strong>vehicle fire<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford states that steering, braking, and lighting systems remain functional during a propulsion shutdown, but loss of power while driving significantly increases the risk of a crash or injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Recall Was Expanded<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford previously issued recalls (24V-954 and 25SC4\/25V-789) covering vehicles with battery cells manufactured before April 1, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, continued investigation revealed that the issue extended beyond the originally identified production window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After reviewing field reports and conducting battery tear-downs and manufacturing analysis, Ford determined that battery cells produced <strong>until additional supplier quality controls were implemented on October 10, 2024<\/strong> may also be vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of February 10, 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two battery venting incidents were reported in Europe outside the original recall population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ford reports <strong>no known U.S. incidents, accidents, or injuries<\/strong> related to the expanded population.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warning Signs Drivers May Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers experiencing a battery failure may notice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A red <strong>\u201cStop Safely Now\u201d<\/strong> message displayed on the instrument cluster<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sudden loss of propulsion power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Warning alerts related to the hybrid system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If this message appears, drivers should safely pull over as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Owners Should Do Right Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because a permanent repair is still being developed, Ford has issued interim safety instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Owners are advised to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use <strong>\u201cAuto EV\u201d mode only<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limit battery charging to 80% capacity<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow instructions provided in owner notification letters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford expects interim notification letters to be mailed beginning <strong>March 6, 2026<\/strong>, with additional letters sent once a final repair becomes available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recall Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer Recall Number:<\/strong> 25SC4<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NHTSA Campaign Number:<\/strong> 26V-091000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expanded Recalls:<\/strong> 24V-954 and 25V-489<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vehicles Affected:<\/strong> Approximately 24,690<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This recall expands on an earlier battery defect investigation affecting Ford plug-in hybrid vehicles. You can read our previous analysis here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-california-lemon-law-blog wp-block-embed-california-lemon-law-blog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"erJ8Lc6FuR\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10808\">Battery Cell Problems In Ford Escape &amp; Lincoln Corsair Plug-In Hybrids<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Battery Cell Problems In Ford Escape &amp; Lincoln Corsair Plug-In Hybrids&#8221; &#8212; California Lemon Law blog\" src=\"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10808&#038;embed=true#?secret=V5ocMdfBxJ#?secret=erJ8Lc6FuR\" data-secret=\"erJ8Lc6FuR\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ford Motor Company has expanded a significant safety recall affecting certain plug-in hybrid vehicles after discovering that additional high-voltage battery cells may be susceptible to failure. The recall impacts thousands of Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles and raises concerns about sudden loss of power and potential fire risk. The expanded recall is&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10878\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,145,45,1317,723],"tags":[140,1599,1115,1651,1354],"class_list":["post-10878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california-lemon-law","category-electric-cars","category-ford","category-lemon-alert","category-lincoln-recalls","tag-automobile-safety","tag-battery-overheat","tag-manufacturer-defect","tag-phev-battery-failure","tag-repeated-repair-attempts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10878","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=10878"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10879,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10878\/revisions\/10879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}