The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·23V122000·Announced 2023-02-24

Ford Recalls 2023 Transit Vehicles for HVAC and Defrost System Failure

Ford is recalling 2023 Transit vehicles with specific accessory kits that disable heating, air conditioning, and defrost systems, increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a functional defect that disables safety-critical visibility systems (defrost/defog), increasing the risk of a crash, which aligns with the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2023 Transit vehicles equipped with the Special Vehicle Operations Accessory Service Kit #1 or #2 with a High Specification Vehicle Interface Connector. The recall affects 4,804 vehicles. When these accessory kits are installed, the auxiliary wire harness disables the heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC) systems, including the defrost and defog functions. This condition causes the vehicles to fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."

An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, which increases the risk of a crash. No specific injuries or fatalities are reported in the source text, but the hazard is identified as a safety compliance issue affecting visibility.

Dealers will repair the auxiliary wire harness by modifying it to include the necessary twisted loop, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C02. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov.

The recalled product

Product
FORD TRANSIT
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Commercial Van
Hazard
Affected units
4,804

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • TRANSIT

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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