Ford Explorer and Bronco Sport need repairs for electrical and software issues

Friday, September 13th was not a good day for Ford, as the company announced two separate recalls in the U.S. for two popular SUVs that day. If there is any good news for the brand, it is that neither recall is major.

The first of two recalls affects 2024 Bronco Sport models manufactured through October 24, 2023. Ford revealed that 76 vehicles were incorrectly labeled as being repaired under a previous recall related to a powertrain control module (PCM) software defect.

Read: Ford must recall more than 144,000 Mavericks and 16,000 F-150s due to two defects

In this recall, investigations revealed that the PCM is unable to detect a sudden change in the 12-volt battery charge state while driving, which could cause the Bronco Sport to fail to restart after the automatic start/stop system is engaged or if the engine stalls at low speeds. Some of the 76 vehicles involved in this recall were locked into Ford’s recall tracking system before being repaired.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified beginning October 25 and asked to bring their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer where the BCM and PCM software will be updated free of charge.

Ford’s second recall, announced on Friday the 13th, affects select 2024 Explorer models assembled between May 1, 2023, and March 28, 2024, for a total of 61 vehicles.

In this case, SUVs equipped with the available 3.3-liter hybrid powertrains may have a 12-volt battery cable that is not properly secured and could come into contact with the belt-integrated starter generator. This could damage the battery cable insulation, increasing the risk of a short circuit and fire.

Owners of vehicles with this fault may notice a check engine light or slow or no cranking when attempting to start the vehicle. Dealers have been instructed to repair the fault by installing a cable tie between the battery cable and the high-voltage cable.