P0524 on Ford

Certain 2020-2023 Ford Escape HEV and PHEV models equipped with the 2.5L Atkinson-cycle hybrid engine can suffer from isolated manufacturing defects that cause the engine block or oil pan to breach. When this occurs, significant quantities of engine oil and/or fuel vapor are released into the hot engine bay, creating an underhood fire risk. The failure affects engines manufactured on or before September 1, 2022. Ford issued Safety Recall 23S27 (NHTSA 23V380000) to address this. No engine block breaches have been reported on engines built after September 1, 2022.

Select 2023-2025 Escape (and 2025 Bronco Sport) vehicles with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine left the cylinder-head supplier (Nemak Monterrey) with insufficient heat treatment, leaving the head hardness below specification and the ball plugs without enough retention force. During operation a ball plug can be ejected from the cylinder head, causing an oil leak that can ignite a fire and/or lead to rapid oil loss and engine seizure with loss of motive power. The affected population is small (roughly 400 engines), tied to supplier power failures that interrupted heat treatment, but the failure mode is severe. This is distinct from the earlier 2.5L hybrid engine-block-breach fire recall.

A small population of 2023 Explorers with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine may have a torn or cut turbocharger oil supply line O-ring. The damaged O-ring can let pressurized engine oil escape and contact a hot engine, increasing the risk of an under-hood fire; oil loss can also cause an engine stall and loss of motive power. Ford recalled the affected units (built at Chicago Assembly July 25-Aug 3, 2023; ~10 vehicles) in August 2023.

Certain 2024-2025 F-150s built with the 3.5L GTDI (EcoBoost) V6 left the plant with a misaligned engine block cup plug (freeze/core plug). The plug can push out or leak, causing a rapid — not seeping — loss of engine oil. Ford issued two campaigns: NHTSA 24V851000 and NHTSA 25V198000 (Ford 25S30, 4,356 vehicles, also covering 2024-2025 Expedition and 2024 Navigator). Losing oil pressure at speed can seize or stall the engine, and oil sprayed onto hot exhaust components is a fire risk.

A small production batch of 2025 F-150 engines was built with connecting rod and rod bearing components carrying manufacturing defects that lead to progressive engine damage and eventual failure. Ford recalled 156 vehicles under NHTSA 25V344000 (Ford 25S55) in June 2025; the same campaign covers 2025 Transit and 2025 Explorer. Because the failure is in the rotating assembly, the remedy is not a repair but a complete engine long block replacement. Owners typically hear a deepening knock or rumble from the bottom end under load before the engine lets go.

The 1.0L EcoBoost uses a 'wet' timing belt that runs submerged in engine oil. When oil is old, over-extended, or not to Ford's WSS-M2C948-B spec, the belt's rubber breaks down and delaminates ('pilling'). Shed fragments migrate through the sump and clog the oil pump pickup screen, causing loss of oil pressure and catastrophic engine failure. NHTSA opened an investigation after dozens of complaints of low oil pressure followed by power loss on 1.0L EcoBoost vehicles. Ford originally quoted a very long belt interval (10 yr / 150k mi) but real-world failures pushed independent shops to recommend ~6 yr / 60k mi replacement. Failure can also destroy the belt-driven oil pump and cause the crank pulley to shed the belt.

Ford recalled approximately 6,500 US-market 2015-2017 Shelby GT350 and GT350R Mustangs (built Feb 2015-Aug 2016) because the engine oil cooler tube assembly was crimped with insufficient force, allowing a hose to separate from the tube and leak oil. A sudden loss of oil can cause catastrophic engine failure, and leaked oil near an ignition source raises fire risk - particularly serious on a track-focused car run at sustained high RPM. This is separate from the GT350's broader track-overheating complaints; it is a defined safety recall with a free remedy.

The Ford Transit aluminum oil pan is prone to drain plug thread stripping, especially in vehicles serviced at quick-lube shops or with frequent oil changes. The aluminum pan threads are softer than the steel drain plug, and over-torquing or cross-threading during routine oil changes permanently damages the threads. Once stripped, the drain plug leaks oil or falls out entirely, potentially causing catastrophic engine damage from oil starvation.