Ford is recalling 139,917 2013 Escapes due to engine issues, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.
"The affected vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which may cause cracks that could allow oil to leak," the administration said in a statement. "Leaking engine oil may come into contact with a hot engine surface potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire."
The recall affects Escapes made from Oct. 5, 2011, and June 2, 2013. Ford will notify drivers if they have a vehicle in question.
The company will change the vehicle's engine shielding, and cooling and control systems at no cost to the owner the administration reported. The process will start Jan. 23, 2014. Drivers can call Ford at 1-866-436-7332, and then use the company's recall number 13S12.
The administration has also pulled back, 9,469 other 2013 Ford Escapes because can burst into flames. These include models made from Oct. 5, 2011, until July 2012.
"In some cases, the engine compartment fuel line may have been installed incorrectly when repaired under the prior recall," the administration said in the recall section of its website. "The mis-installed fuel line could chafe and eventually leak fuel."
Ford will inform drivers if they have affected vehicles, and examine the car's engine compartment fuel line. Mechanics will also switch it out with a new one at no cost.
"All covered vehicles, regardless of being remedied under the earlier recall, require an inspection and a remedy for this campaign," the administration said on its website.
Consumers can also call the administration's hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or log on to the website.
The vehicles were constructed at Ford's manufacturing plant in Louisville, Ky. The recall includes one-hundred thirty-nine, two-hundred and twenty-eight Escapes in the United States. There are another 18,917 in Canada with others in different regions.
