Ford Motor Company (F) waited until Thanksgiving morning to announce a sizeable recall of more than 500,000 Bronco Sport and Escapes for possible cracked fuel injectors that could cause fuel and/or fuel vapor to leak onto a hot engine and cause fires.

The Dearborn, Michigan, the automaker said Bronco Sport and Escape owners with 3-cylinder, 1.5L engines are "urged" to visit the closest dealership for inspection.  

Repairs aren't yet available. So Ford will provide an engine update to "detect whether the fuel injector is cracked and if so, provide a dashboard message to customers to seek service." If fuel pressure drops, the "engine power will automatically be reduced to minimize any risk, while also allowing customers to drive to a safe location, and stop the vehicle and arrange for service." 

Dealers will also install a tube-draining fuel line from the cylinder head away from the engine and check for excessive fuel odor before a fix is available.

"Once the repair is available, we will ask customers to schedule service with their preferred dealer. They can then take advantage of our complimentary pickup and delivery or a loaner to make sure the repair is completed at their earliest convenience," Jim Azzouz, Executive Director, Global CX Products & Customer Relations, wrote in a statement. 

Reuters reported there had been 54 under-hood engine fires, including four with cracked fuel injectors. A leaking fuel injector caused about 13 others.

Ford has yet to tell the owners of these sport utility vehicles to stop driving. AP said owners would be notified by mail about the engine issues and fire hazard risks on Dec. 19. 

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