Ford GT Recalled for Leaking Fluid, Engine Compartment Fire Risk

After a fire in Germany during the summer, Ford has found a fix.
OCTOBER 10, 2018 BY CLIFFORD ATIYEH -- Car and Driver

Nearly every new Ford GT will be recalled to replace a hydraulic valve that can leak and start a fire just aft of the engine compartment, the company said on Wednesday.

The 2017 and 2018 GT models have valves controlling the rear wing that can drip fluid down onto the exhaust and potentially engulf the car in flames. That nightmare happened to a GT owner in Germany this past June who reportedly was not injured.

A total of 176 cars in the U.S. and 18 in Canada are affected, and the recall includes those built from December 20, 2016, through July 31, 2018. Through September, Ford has sold 191 copies of its mid-engined half-million-dollar supercar in the United States. The GT's wing can rise and lower in milliseconds, depending on the car's driving mode. It can also instantly angle forward to act as an air brake.

Ford said it will provide a software update that "eliminates the possibility of excessive pressure in the valve block assembly." The company also said it will install hydraulic check valves and filters, along with O-rings, on vehicles that do not have them already installed.

The GT, powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6 that makes 647 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque, is famously sold by application only. More than 6000 people applied for 500 copies of the supercar being produced for 2017–2018. Ford announced in July that it would reopen applications "soon" for another two years of production.