NHTSA Opens Investigation Into More Than 200,000 Ford F-250 Diesel Trucks Over Fire Concerns and Fuel Leak

In May of 2024, documents detailing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) first assessment of 210,960 Ford F-250 through F-550 trucks were made public. The agency received no fewer than 27 complaints alleging diesel fuel leaks prior to this investigation, with 12 of those reports involving fires and four involving injuries.

The engine's secondary fuel filter housing has fractured, which is the specific cause of the issue. Allevard Sogefi USA, the part supplier, said that throughout the manufacturing process, the secondary fuel filter was only tested up to 7 bar (101.5 psi). According to Ford, the NHTSA was informed that the fuel system could function at an operating pressure of 123.3 psi, or 8.5 bar. According to the opening resume launching the probe, both parties made changes from model year 2022 onward, which is why current-generation trucks are unaffected by this particular investigation.

The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opens a preliminary evaluation to determine the scale and severity of a safety-related problem after the agency receives a host of complaints. In this case, the proximity of the secondary fuel filter to high heat sources can pose a serious risk for a fire, though there is not a formal recall to address the issue at this stage. Ford may voluntarily recall the trucks on its own, or the results of the ODI investigation could trigger a recall campaign at some point in the future.

Ford told reporters it is working with the NHTSA to support its investigation into this problem.