Ford 1.5L Fuel Injector Recall: Checking a Used Escape or Bronco Sport

If the used Ford you are looking at is a 2020-2022 Escape or a 2021-2024 Bronco Sport with the 1.5-liter engine (Ford's filing calls it the 1.5L Dragon GTDI), check recall 25V-467 (Ford number 25S76) before anything else. A fuel injector can crack and leak fuel into the engine bay, and Ford has tied eight underhood fires to cracked injectors. The final fix replaces the high-pressure fuel rail and injectors, and it applies even to cars that already got the earlier software and drain-tube repair. A "recall done" sticker from 2023 does not mean this one is done.

We pulled the Part 573 report, NHTSA's acknowledgement letter and the current NHTSA recall record on November 8, 2026. That record said the final remedy was anticipated in July 2026. We could not confirm from public documents whether every dealer has parts now, so ask a Ford dealer to run the VIN and tell you exactly what is open.

Why there are four recall numbers for one problem

This recall has a messy history, and the mess is the reason used buyers get burned. Ford recalled these engines for cracked injectors in November 2022 under 22V-859, then again in 2024 under 24V-187. The fix both times was software that detects a cracked injector and then shuts off the high-pressure fuel pump, cuts engine power and lowers the temperature of possible ignition sources, plus a tube that drains leaking fuel away from hot parts. In March 2025, Ford added 25V-165 for cars that had not received the software portion properly.

NHTSA was not convinced. In April 2024 it opened a recall query, RQ24-008, and said it believed the remedy "does not address the root cause" and did not call for replacing defective injectors before they failed. In July 2025 Ford filed 25V-467, which expands and replaces 22V-859, 24V-187 and 25V-165 and covers 694,271 vehicles. Ford's filing says vehicles fixed under those older recalls will need the new final remedy too.

The split, per the amended report Ford submitted in November 2025, is 355,227 Escapes and 339,044 Bronco Sports. The recalled injectors went into Escape production on November 19, 2018 and came out on December 16, 2022, and into Bronco Sport production from February 5, 2020 to February 8, 2024. Ford also says these vehicles were not built in VIN order, so you cannot guess from the serial number whether a car is in or out. Ford's line is 1-866-436-7332, or any Ford or Lincoln dealer can look it up. Ford estimates 0.3 percent of the population actually has the defect, which is small, but a fire is not a small outcome.

What Ford says actually happens

According to Ford's report, a cracked injector lets fuel leak at a high rate into the cylinder head, out through a drain hole and onto hot exhaust or turbo parts. Ford found injector cracking on eight vehicles that had underhood fires, and six of those had not received the updated software. It knew of no injuries tied to those fires. Ford also said its analysis in spring 2025 pointed to corrosion as a contributing factor in the cracking. The injectors came from Dumarey Flowmotion Technologies in Italy, and the remedy injectors are a different design.

The warning signs Ford lists are a fuel smell outside or inside the car and, if a fire starts, smoke from the engine bay or underbody and dashboard warnings. Consumer Reports' writeup of the recall said the same thing and noted, at the time it was published, that the fix was still in development.

How to check a specific Escape or Bronco Sport

• Confirm the engine. The recall covers the 1.5-liter only. An Escape with the 2.0-liter or the hybrid is not in this population, though it may have other open recalls.
• Run the VIN on Ford's or NHTSA's recall lookup. Our Ford recall check guide shows both. You are looking for 25V-467 or 25S76 specifically.
• If it says the interim software was done, that is good but not finished. Ask whether the final repair (new fuel rail and injectors) has been done and get the repair order.
• Smell the engine bay after the test drive with the hood up. Raw fuel smell on a 1.5 is a stop sign.
• Ask about any time the engine went into reduced power. The interim software is designed to cut power when it detects a leak, so a story about "limp mode that went away" deserves a dealer visit before you buy.

If the final fix is still not available for that VIN, read our guide to buying when no remedy is available. Generation notes live in the used Escape guide and used Bronco Sport guide. And to see how other Ford engines have gotten complicated recall histories, our EcoBoost coolant intrusion check is a good companion read.

Honest take for used buyers

We would not walk away from every 1.5-liter Escape. Plenty will get the final repair and be fine. But we would walk away from a seller who waves the recall off because "Ford already fixed it," since by Ford's own filing the earlier fix was not the last word. Price the time and the dealer trip into your offer, and do not buy one with a fuel smell on the promise that it is "just the recall."

A history report can help here, since recall work done at a dealer often shows up as a service entry (not always), so you may be able to see that the car went in back in 2023 and never came back. For comparison, CARFAX sells its own reports for about $39.99 to $44.99 each. CarVins sells licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reports and has no affiliation with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Guest reports have recently been near $5.50, member reports near $4.50 and the pair near $6.75. The checkout page has the real number, so confirm at checkout rather than trusting this paragraph.

Sources

• Ford Part 573 Safety Recall Report 25V-467 (NHTSA)
• NHTSA recall acknowledgement letter, 25V-467
• NHTSA recall API record for the 2021 Ford Escape (25V-467 remedy timing, 22V-859 and 25V-165 history)
• Consumer Reports: Ford Bronco Sport and Escape fuel injector recall