Engine intake valve recall 24S55

[Cdubya]

NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000

Manufacturer Ford Motor Company

Components ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Potential Number of Units Affected 90,736

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.

Remedy

Dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S55.

 

[KANSAS]

September 1, 2024 — A Ford Nano EcoBoost engine recall involves 102,500 vehicles equipped with 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine intake valves that can break while driving.

Three safety defect petitions (here, here and here) were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine if Nano EcoBoost engines were defective.

In 2023, NHTSA expanded an earlier investigation into Nano EcoBoost engine failures caused by intake valves.

The Ford Nano EcoBoost engine recall includes these vehicles in the U.S. and Canada:

• 2021-2022 Ford Bronco
• 2021-2022 Ford F-150
• 2021-2022 Ford Edge
• 2021-2022 Ford Explorer
• 2021-2022 Lincoln Nautilus
• 2021-2022 Lincoln Aviator

The Nano EcoBoost engine can completely fail if the intake valves break while driving.

Ford describes the specific Nano EcoBoost intake valve engine problem:

"The engines in affected vehicles may contain intake valves that have a propensity to crack and break. The engine intake valves may have grinding burn and over-specification hardness at the third keeper groove location in the valve."​

A driver may see an engine warning light or notice the engine running rough before losing power.

As of August 9, 2024, Ford knew of 811 warranty claims worldwide related to busted intake valves. The automaker also knows of at least 267 field reports and 233 customer complaints about fractured intake valves.

However, Ford is not aware of any reports of crashes or injuries relating to broken 2.7L and 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine intake valves.

Ford Nano EcoBoost recall letters will be mailed October 7, 2024, and dealerships will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engines if necessary.

The test will determine the engine's "cumulative number of engine cycles."

"For vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles per a service procedure. Engines will be replaced on vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation." — Ford​

Ford and Lincoln owners with concerns may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 and ask about Ford Nano EcoBoost recall number 24S55.

 

[FORZDA3]

Yeah, what that bolded is saying is your Ford dealer will rev the piss out of it and if it fails then they will replace it. If not, you go home with it. No thanks. I’ve already met the “cycle” criteria and it’s just fine. Anyone who actually bought the ST for the performance has also already run the “test”. I don’t think we have the “nano” version engines either.

 

[UGADawg96]

Yeah, what that bolded is saying is your Ford dealer will rev the piss out of it and if it fails then they will replace it. If not, you go home with it. No thanks. I’ve already met the “cycle” criteria and it’s just fine. Anyone who actually bought the ST for the performance has also already run the “test”. I don’t think we have the “nano” version engines either.

I thought all 2.7 and 3.0 ecoboosts were Nano.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_EcoBoost_engine

 

[UGADawg96]

Here is a post from the F150 site with some details.

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Interesting. The NHTSA bulletin from Ford notes production dates from May through October 2021 for the potentially affected Lima plant 2.7's/3.0's (over 1/2 of the ~90k engines in F-150's). From about a year ago Ford 2.7L EcoBoost Faulty Valve Investigation Expands from Bronco to F-150, Explorer & More - Ford-Trucks.com:

"The problem with these particular engines is that they were built with engine intake valves made from a material called Silchrome Lite, which is an alloy that “can become excessively hard and brittle if an over-temperature condition occurs during machining of the component,” according to the NHTSA, at which point those valves can fracture and lead to a loss of power, or worse – total engine failure. Back in October 2021, Ford addressed this issue by switching the intake valves used in these engines over to an alloy called Silchrome 1, which is reportedly less susceptible to over-temperature during machine grinding. The automaker notes that the majority of engine failures caused by the faulty valves have likely already occurred, but the NHTSA is taking a deeper look into the situation, regardless.

The recent (a week ago) associated Ford chronology RMISC-24V635-2546.pdf (nhtsa.gov) has more detail - evidently another infamous 3rd party supplier issue - using/substituting Silchome Lite for intake valve manufacture. Supposedly changed to Silchrome 1 after October 2021.

"Based on an analysis of returned fractured valves from failed engines, Ford identified that the potential root cause of the failures was engine intake valve failure due to valves that exceeded the designed specification for hardness, were brittle, and more likely to fracture. Ford determined that this was due to the supplier’s grinding processes and the sensitivity of the intake valve material to grinding processes that were not within control specifications. The intake valve material was changed for vehicles produced after October 31, 2021. The new material increased the valve’s robustness to keeper groove grinding processes outside of control specifications."

A little more detail on what happens Ford Bronco & F150 EcoBoost Engine Valve Failure (aa1car.com) :

"Ford says the intake valves in these engines were made from a special weight-saving alloy called Silchrome Lite. These valves must be carefully heat treated during manufacture because getting them too hot can make the alloy too hard and brittle, increasing the risk of cracking and sudden failure. The Silichrome Lite alloy has since been discontinued and replaced with a different alloy called Silchrome that is less prone to cracking and failure."

Almost need to be a metallugical engineer - martensitic intakes, austenitic exhausts Valves – In the Flow: Part I - Allmond Marine

"Martensitic steels have the benefit of being hardenable and have good strength properties at room temperatures. This makes them a good choice for intake valves, which run cool, most often a few hundred degrees. Silchrome-1 is a very popular material used in engines for intake valves. Having a hardenable material is nice, since the valve tip needs to be 52-54 HRc min to carry the contact stress of the rocker arm. The valve can be hardened locally in the tip area. The rest of the valve can be left softer and ductile."

The conspiracy theorist in me smells a covid link - why was decision made sometime in 2021 to go to "Silchrome Lite" - it being a "weight-saving" alloy? Really?

Just makes me wonder what the 2.7 intakes were made from during 2015-2021.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[2020FordRaptor]

I thought all 2.7 and 3.0 ecoboosts were Nano.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_EcoBoost_engine

Not all but the newer ones on the newer F150s and 6g Explorers.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

It’s interesting that the Explorer is recalled along with the Bronco. I haven’t seen any failures with the Explorer yet, at least from what I’ve heard.

 

[KANSAS]

2022 Explorer production began the second week of November 2021. (Mne was produced the third week.) So looks like 2022 models are not involved.

Affected vehicles: select 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Nautilus, and Aviator vehicles equipped with either the twin turbocharged 2.7L V6 EcoBoost or 3.0L V6 EcoBoost engines. This applies to Bronco and F-150 models produced between May 1st, 2021 and October 30th, 2021, Edge and Nautilus crossovers built between May 10th, 2021 and October 29th, 2021, and Explorer or Aviator models produced from June 7th, 2021 and October 31st, 2021.

 

[MrBigglesworrth]

Are all 3.0’s “nanos”? This is the first time I’ve seen this word in relation to these engines.

 

[legacy404]

Yes, the 3.0 EB is part of the nano family of engines and related to the 2.7. Nanos use a composite iron material for the mid-block instead of aluminum.

At least ford is copping up to the issue and replacing engines

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Are all 3.0’s “nanos”? This is the first time I’ve seen this word in relation to these engines.

No, not all 3.0s are Nanos, but most are. The ones that Lincoln used in their sedans weren’t Nanos but the 2020 and later Explorer, Braptor, F150, Edge, Nautilous and Ranger Raptor use the Nano platform.

 

[GearHead_1]

While it's true that the non-turbo 3.0 liter engines are not part of the Nano family, it is my understanding that all Twin Turbo 2.7 and 3.0 are part of the Nano family.