NHTSA Complaint #11624212 — 2022 FORD EXPLORER

On 10/28/2024 at approximately 0515 I was traveling at 51 MPH when my 2022 Ford Explorer King Ranch edition with ~25k miles experienced catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle had no prior indication of failure. No engine light, no warning lights, etc. The vehicle started shaking violently and lost all power. I was able to safely pull to the shoulder of a two-lane road. The vehicle was completely dead and would not start. I am not sure if there was oil or anything leaking as it was dark outside. I called a tow truck and had the car taken to the Ford dealership. After initial inspection, the dealership moved the car to the "heavy maintenance" part of the service department. After a few days, I called to find out what they found and was informed the engine had "thrown a rod" and the entire engine would have to be replaced. After a week and a half, I called back and was told they are still disassembling the engine and their next step will be to submit a "cost cap" to Ford for permission to replace the engine. After researching the issue online, I came across the Safety recall 24V-598 on engine failures in the 3.3L size engine, typically only on police interceptor versions of the Ford Explorer. The information in the recall sounded exactly like what happened to my explorer but was told by the dealer the 3.0L engines were not affected and they had never seen one fail like this. I truly believe the 3.0L engine sizes are affected and the recall should be expanded to include this version of the explorer. I was lucky that I was able to safely drift to the side of the road, however, others may not be that lucky.