Lincoln MKCs Are Hot Hot Hot!

No, seriously, they can just catch fire suddenly.

The Lincoln brand is red hot right now, like a raging inferno, and it’s not because sales are soaring. Instead, Ford Motor Company is telling the owners of over 140,000 Lincoln SUVs in the US they need to park them outside and away from structures because the vehicles can spontaneously combust. And there you probably thought that only happened with EVs.

Find out here why Hyundai and Kia are also red hot.

All the recalled SUVs are Lincoln MKCs ranging from the 2015 to 2019 model years. We’re shocked 140,000 of those were sold in this country since sighting one seems to be a rarity.

A fire can suddenly break out in a Lincoln MKC after a short circuit can occur in the 12-volt battery monitor sensor, according to Ford. The resulting overheating can then combust surrounding materials in the engine compartment, both when the vehicle is parked and when it’s being driven. In other words, driving your MKC around has been a roll of the dice this entire time.

Ford says damage from servicing the battery of the surrounding electrical components could be to blame for the electrical short, which in turn could spark a fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has fielded 19 reports of fires involving Lincoln MKCs it believe might be related to the short circuit issue. However, there are no reports of injuries so far.

Obviously, after suffering in the past from the Pinto and Explorer fiascos, Ford doesn’t want to tempt fate. Actually, these days all automakers are pretty eager to issue recalls, with some in the industry arguing they’re a little too gung-ho about going along with whatever NHTSA wants. This doesn’t seem to be that type of situation because, quite frankly, car fires are one of the scariest things we can imagine.

If you own a 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, you can have a dealer install a fuse for the battery monitor sensor’s power circuit. Ford says it will send letters out by June 26, but we know those don’t always make their way to every last owner, so it’s okay to contact your dealer instead of waiting.  

Images via Ford Motor Company