Recall 12V551000 scope
Recall 12V551000
CHOPPER DESIGNS • ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING • reported Dec 3, 2012 • • 80,057 units affected
View official record on NHTSA.gov · federal source of truth
- Campaign
- 12V551000
- Manufacturer
- CHOPPER DESIGNS
- Component
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Make
- FORD
- Model Years
- 2013
- Affected Units
- 80,057
- Country
- US
- Data As Of
- Apr 5, 2026
What this recall is about, in plain English
This is an update to a recently announced recall. If flammable engine fluids come in contact with the vehicles hot exhaust system, a vehicle fire could occur. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine for coolant system leaks and reprogram the vehicles powertrain control module and instrument cluster with an updated calibration and overheat strategy software.
Synthesized from the NHTSA defect summary, consequence, and remedy fields shown below.
This recall describes a safety risk and the remedy is still pending. Affected vehicles should be parked or driven only as needed until the manufacturer issues guidance. Always verify directly with the manufacturer or your dealer using the campaign number.
Risk Summary (Consequence)
If flammable engine fluids come in contact with the vehicles hot exhaust system, a vehicle fire could occur.
Defect Summary
This is an update to a recently announced recall. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through November 26, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines, as well as certain model year 2013 Fusion vehicles manufactured from February 3, 2012, through November 29, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. Coolant system leaks may cause the engines to overheat and leak flammable engine fluids.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine for coolant system leaks and reprogram the vehicles powertrain control module and instrument cluster with an updated calibration and overheat strategy software. There will be no charge to owners for this service. Owners were recently notified to contact dealers to arrange for alternative transportation as Ford developed a remedy. Owners will be shortly receiving notifications to contact Ford dealers to schedule the free remedy repair. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
Key Dates
Affected Vehicles
2 vehicles under this recall
Official Sources & Documents
Links to NHTSA.gov and Part 573 recall reports when available — hosted by NHTSA, not TruckCodex
Documents hosted on nhtsa.gov. Links open in a new tab.
How to Act on This Recall
- Owners: Contact your authorized dealer to schedule the remedy at no cost. Remedy is covered under 49 U.S.C. 30120.
- Fleets: See the Fleet Recall Workflow Guide for the operator workflow to sweep your VIN list against this and other open campaigns.
- Looking up a specific VIN? Check VIN against NHTSA for open recalls on that vehicle.
- NHTSA contact: Vehicle Safety Hotline 1-888-327-4236.
How to verify your vehicle is affected
- Find your VIN. Locate your 17-character Vehicle Identification Number on the lower-left corner of your windshield, on the driver's-door jamb sticker, or on your vehicle registration. The VIN is the only reliable way to confirm whether a specific vehicle falls under a recall — make/model/year alone is not enough.
- Check your VIN on this site. Enter the VIN at /vin/ to see every open recall tied to your specific vehicle, including 12V551000. Our lookup pulls directly from the NHTSA recall database and refreshes daily.
- Cross-reference with the official NHTSA recall search. For a second source of truth, run the same VIN through https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. If both this site and NHTSA show the same campaign as open for your VIN, it applies — schedule the repair.
- Contact your dealer if affected. Bring the campaign number, your VIN, and your registration to an authorized dealer for the make. The dealer performs the remedy at no cost. If you've already paid for a related repair, bring the receipt — the manufacturer is required to reimburse pre-recall repairs that addressed the same defect.