Ford is under investigation for Bronco Sport gas leaks. US says its remedy doesn't fix the problem

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government's auto safety agency has opened an investigation into a Ford recall for gasoline leaks from cracked fuel injectors that can cause engine fires, saying in documents that the remedy doesn't fix the leaks.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted Friday that the probe will “evaluate the adequacy and safety consequences of the remedy” that Ford specifies in the recall.

The agency moved with unusual speed, posting documents detailing the “recall query” just two days after the recall was made public.

The recall covers nearly 43,000 Ford Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, and Escape SUVs from 2022. All have 1.5-liter engines.

NHTSA said that fuel injectors can crack, causing gasoline or vapors to leak at a high rate onto hot surfaces in the engine compartment.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Ford's remedy for the leaks is to add a drain tube to send the gas away from hot surfaces, and a software update to detect a pressure drop in the fuel injection system. If that happens, the software will disable the high pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power and cut temperatures in the engine compartment. Owners also will get a “seek service” message.

But the U.S. said Friday that Ford's fix lets fuel drain from a cylinder head hole to the ground below the vehicles. “The recall remedy does not include replacement of the cracked fuel injector,” the agency said.

Ford said Friday it is working with NHTSA on the investigation.

The company said in documents that it has reports of five under-hood fires and 14 warranty replacements of fuel injectors, but no reports of crashes or injuries.

In an email on Wednesday, Ford said it is not replacing fuel injectors because it is confident the recall repairs “will prevent the failure from occurring and protect the customer.” The new software triggers a dashboard warning light and allows customers to drive to a safe location, stop the vehicle and arrange for service, the company said. NHTSA documents filed by Ford say the problem happens only in about 1% of the SUVs.

The company also said it will extend warranty coverage for cracked fuel injectors, so owners who experience the problem will get replacements. Repairs are already available, and details of the extended warranty will be available in June, Ford said.

The recall is an extension of a 2022 recall for the same problem, according to Ford. The repair has already been tested on vehicles involved in the previous recall, and Ford said it’s not aware of any problems.

The company also said it isn’t recommending that the SUVs be parked only outdoors because there’s no evidence that fires happen when vehicles are parked and the engines are off.

NHTSA said in documents that in the 2022 recall, which covered nearly 522,000 Bronco Sports and Escapes, Ford had the same remedy as the latest recall.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, called Ford’s remedy for the fuel leaks a “Band-aid type recall” and said the company is trying to avoid the cost of repairing the fuel injectors.

File -A Ford Bronco is displayed at a Gus Machado Ford dealership on Jan. 23, 2023, in Hialeah, Fla. The U.S. government's auto safety agency has opened an investigation, Friday, April 12, 2024, into a Ford recall for gasoline leaks from cracked fuel injectors that can cause engine fires, saying in documents that the remedy doesn't fix the leaks. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

US agency says it will investigate Ford gasoline leak recall that can cause engine compartment fires

US agency says it will investigate Ford gasoline leak recall that can cause engine compartment fires

FILE - A Ford sign is shown at a dealership in Springfield, Pa., Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Ford is recalling nearly 43,000 small SUVs, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, because gasoline can leak from the fuel injectors onto hot engine surfaces, increasing the risk of fires. But the recall remedy does not include repairing the fuel leaks.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iranian prosecutors filed criminal charges on Wednesday targeting activists and journalists following a BBC report that alleged security forces had “sexually assaulted and killed” a 16-year-old girl during protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

Nika Shakarami's death also sparked widespread outrage at the time.

Amini died after being detained by police over allegedly not wearing her mandatory hijab, or headscarf, to their liking. U.N. investigators have said Iran is responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini's death.

In Shakarami's case, authorities said she died after falling from a tall building, something immediately disputed by her mother, who said her daughter had been beaten.

The BBC report published on Monday — relying on what it described as a report written for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard — said Shakarami was detained by undercover security forces who molested her, then killed her with batons and electronic stun guns after she struggled against the assault.

Iran's Mizan news agency, run by the country's judiciary, said on Wednesday that the BBC story was “a fake, incorrect and full-of-mistakes report,” without addressing any of the alleged errors it contained.

It was the government's first acknowledgment of the BBC report and it said "journalists and activists” have been summoned over the issue.

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal case against these people,” Mizan said, with charges including “spreading lies” and “propaganda against the system.” The first charge can carry up at a year and a half in prison and dozens of lashes, while the second can involve up to a year's imprisonment.

Mizan did not identify those charges and it was unclear whether prosecutors had charged three BBC journalists who bylined the report. Those associated with the BBC's Persian service have been targeted for years by Tehran and barred from working in the country since its disputed 2009 presidential election and Green Movement protests.

The BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The broadcaster noted that in recent years, there have been faked documents floating around during widespread protests, purporting to be from the Iranian government.

However, it said it had “confidence that it is genuine,” despite an inconsistency in the report using an old acronym for the police.

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Wednesday tried to dismiss the BBC report as an effort to “divert attention” from ongoing protests at American universities over the Israel-Hamas war — despite the events dominating U.S. television networks.

“The enemy and their media have resorted to false and far-fetched reports to conduct psychological operations,” Vahidi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

FILE - A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death, in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 28, 2022. Iranian prosecutors filed criminal charges Wednesday, May 1, 2024, targeting activists and journalists following a BBC report that alleged security forces "sexually assaulted and killed" a 16-year-old girl who led protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)