Ford Motor Co is recalling 634,000 sport utility vehicles worldwide over fire risks from possible cracked fuel injectors, and is urging owners to have their cars inspected.

The US’s No.2 car maker by sales said the recall covered 2020-2023 model year Bronco Sport and Escape four-wheel-drives with three-cylinder, 1.5-litre engines.

They included many also recalled in April because an oil separator housing could crack and develop a leak that could cause an engine fire.

Vehicles repaired under the earlier callout would still need the new recall fix, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Ford said when engines in the 4WDs covered by the latest recall were operating, a cracked fuel injector could cause fuel or fuel vapour to accumulate near hot surfaces, potentially resulting in fire under the bonnet.

Once repairs are available, dealers will update vehicle software to detect whether a fuel injector is cracked and provide a dashboard message to alert drivers.

“If a pressure drop in the fuel rail is detected, engine power will automatically be reduced to minimise any risk, while also allowing customers to drive to a safe location and stop the vehicle and arrange for service,” Ford said.

Dealers will also install a tube draining fuel from the cylinder head and away from hot surfaces and check for excessive fuel odour near the top of the engine.

The recall covers about 520,000 vehicles in the US and about 114,000 in other countries.

Ford said it had 54 total reports of 1.5-litre under-bonnet fires, including four with cracked fuel injectors.

About 13 others were probably caused by a leaking fuel injector.

There are no deaths linked to the recall.

Ford said it was not telling owners to stop driving vehicles under this recall.

The company projected a low failure rate for fuel injectors experiencing external leaks.

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