My Ford Maverick EcoBoost caught on fire and exploded!!! 🔥

[TE37Mav]

On May 24 around 2pm on a sunny day at San Bernardino my Maverick truck unexpectedly caught on fire and explodes after it was leaking oil in the engine area. My family and I narrowly escaped the smoked filled cabin. Being a 2021 build and one of the few first owner of my wonderful truck, I’m still is a dazed on why my truck did this. I never had any issues and my truck build and was very reliable.

On May 24 my truck started to smoke on a mountain pass and I pulled over and popped the hood open. Oil was dripping off the ceiling of the hood but it was a small amount. So I turned around and that’s when the check engine light started to blink. No warning of the truck dashboard was advertised but only the change oil soon did since it was due for an oil change. I made it to a gas station and the smoke was minimal so I purchase a couple quarts and filled one quart in. I keep a funnel in the cubbies space of the engine bay . (In the fender wall) . Drove the Maverick to an empty parking lot so I can get it towed due to the smoke was getting heavy. As I parked the Maverick the cabin was filled with smoke and that’s when we decided to bail out of the Maverick and that when we saw fire erupting out of the outside of the windshield . As we ran away from the burning Maverick it exploded 3 times.

Oddly after the event I found my funnel about 15 ft away of My Maverick , my prize and joy never had an issue. Why did this happened??? We would almost became the few first fatality of Ford Maverick wonder but unpredictable 2.0 eco boost truck. I’m lost in words regarding of the incident. Is this a serious issue that will soon follow for future Maverick owners ?!?

Don’t even feel bad for you. This 100% driver fault. Smoke warning #1 oil on hood warning #2 you added oil after a low oil light is warning# then still driving it again while smoking you were asking for it. If you would have just towed after first two signs you would have been fine

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[Barracuda340]

A/C line bursting could have been one of the explosions.

 

[jsus]

Yep, I wondered at the time why the Ecoboost was not included and assumed because it had no shutters to restrict air flow. This will most likely cause a recall for Ecoboost.

Active Grille Shutters are found on many different Ford vehicles, regardless of powertrain. It is the same system on Maverick whether EcoBoost or Hybrid. The only difference is that, per the redesign for which the recall was issued, Hybrids lose 4 of the shutters. EcoBoost variants get all of their shutters still.

Bronco Sport includes AGS, with the only engine options being the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost units. Even Focus received it back in 2012, which only offered a 2.0L non-EB engine.

After all, the benefits that AGS provides in terms of alternating between keeping heat in/aerodynamics up and allowing cooling air through apply regardless of powertrain option.

Further, there is 0 evidence of any issue that demands a recall in this thread. We have a report of some unknown engine issue that led to multiple warning signs. Those include a flashing CEL, smoke from the engine bay, and loose oil under the hood. Not great, and clearly the sign of a defect. However, there is 0 indication of what caused it. Could've been a fluke of road debris. Could've been a manufacturing defect. Could've been improper maintenance for all we know.

As for the fire, what we do know is that OP admits there was ample warning and opportunity to safely stop the vehicle and get out, long before there were any flames.

Instead, the apparent response was to find more oil to put into a hot, smoking engine that was losing oil. Not quite pouring gasoline on a fire, but it was definitely pouring motor oil on a fire. Once the vehicle was safely stopped at the gas station, which was likely farther than was reasonable to drive the vehicle, the only valid option was to arrange a tow one way or another. Instead, the smoking engine, newly fed even more oil, was allowed to continue smoking until it ignited.

What was at first an extreme frustration and concern that would've been addressed under warranty, instead is now at best an insurance claim and at worst, something that OP is fully responsible for cost-wise.

Hard to believe that this story actually happened (who not only continues to drive a vehicle with a smoking, leaking engine but feeds it more oil?), but one supposes that even more wild tales told on the internet have turned out true.

 

[Ragtime Billy Peaches]

Active Grille Shutters are found on many different Ford vehicles, regardless of powertrain. It is the same system on Maverick whether EcoBoost or Hybrid. The only difference is that, per the redesign for which the recall was issued, Hybrids lose 4 of the shutters. EcoBoost variants get all of their shutters still.

Bronco Sport includes AGS, with the only engine options being the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost units. Even Focus received it back in 2012, which only offered a 2.0L non-EB engine.

After all, the benefits that AGS provides in terms of alternating between keeping heat in/aerodynamics up and allowing cooling air through apply regardless of powertrain option.

Further, there is 0 evidence of any issue that demands a recall in this thread. We have a report of some unknown engine issue that led to multiple warning signs. Those include a flashing CEL, smoke from the engine bay, and loose oil under the hood. Not great, and clearly the sign of a defect. However, there is 0 indication of what caused it. Could've been a fluke of road debris. Could've been a manufacturing defect. Could've been improper maintenance for all we know.

As for the fire, what we do know is that OP admits there was ample warning and opportunity to safely stop the vehicle and get out, long before there were any flames.

Instead, the apparent response was to find more oil to put into a hot, smoking engine that was losing oil. Not quite pouring gasoline on a fire, but it was definitely pouring motor oil on a fire. Once the vehicle was safely stopped at the gas station, which was likely farther than was reasonable to drive the vehicle, the only valid option was to arrange a tow one way or another. Instead, the smoking engine, newly fed even more oil, was allowed to continue smoking until it ignited.

What was at first an extreme frustration and concern that would've been addressed under warranty, instead is now at best an insurance claim and at worst, something that OP is fully responsible for cost-wise.

Hard to believe that this story actually happened (who not only continues to drive a vehicle with a smoking, leaking engine but feeds it more oil?), but one supposes that even more wild tales told on the internet have turned out true.

Not sure what is more Shocking,, this story or a guy with 2200 messages and no Threads.

 

[Scott Asheville]

If you Google it, there are about 200,000 ICE engine fires each year just in the USA. I hate to figuratively pour gas on this fire, but I think it's a really powerful argument in favor of solid state BEVs, which should start arriving 2025 or 2026 (one Chinese OEM says 2024, and Toyota will be using them in hybrids in 2025).

Yes, the current generation of lithium ion batteries can burn, and intensely at that. Please read my posting again. I referred to solid state, not batteries with highly flammable liquid electrolytes.

 

[commadorebob]

Wow. I guess the lesson here is once an engine starts smoking, stop driving.

 

[Sirslayer]

Here is my ford pass log

 

[Timaysz]

Did you have the recall done where they drilled holes to make sure there is enough drainage in case of oil leaks? I think it was issue to address this issue.

Wasn't that for hybrids?

 

[Sykotyk]

Here is my ford pass log

You had only 5% left on your oil? You were well past the orange in the app. How many miles were on that oil change?

 

[Maverick Grabber]

Glad you and your family are OK

 

[Sirslayer]

You had only 5% left on your oil? You were well past the orange in the app. How many miles were on that oil change?

That didn’t matter any way. I had it planned to do the oil change on the 25th of May. I usually do it every 7500 miles even though Ford recommended every 10,000 miles.. The emissions had a problem at 1:47pm and a few seconds later the engine was misfiring , 15 mins later the firemen had put out the fire.

 

[Mavreezy]

Dude getting beat up in here!

Ain't that the truth...

 

[volksnuts]

Not sure what is more Shocking,, this story or a guy with 2200 messages and no Threads.

That is interesting

 

[Sykotyk]

That didn’t matter any way. I had it planned to do the oil change on the 25th of May. I usually do it every 7500 miles even though Ford recommended every 10,000 miles.. The emissions had a problem at 1:47pm and a few seconds later the engine was misfiring , 15 mins later the firemen had put out the fire.

I know it didn't matter, but it just surprised me. I went 10k miles as recommended and even the the app said I was still around 20% left on my oil.

I know people are jumping on you, and I'm not exactly in your corner on this one. Live and learn. You're okay. Your family is okay. Vehicle can be replaced. It clearly was mechanical failure of some sort. I just would be careful with what you say or post because you want them to own up to it. Adding oil to it was probably not the right decision. You literally added fuel to the fire. Oil spray on the engine is either (with misfire diagnosis) a blown head gasket getting to the pulley. Or, you had a fracture in the head/block that was pumping high pressure oil in a spray outside the engine.

Either way, leaking oil, you can usually argue to limp it home/dealership/etc. But spraying oil? That's a no.

Leave the hood open to reduced trapped heat. Let the engine/block/exhaust cool and have it towed to the dealer to find out if/when you're getting a new engine.

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