Owners of 143,000 Lincoln SUVs told to park outside due to fire risk

(CNN) — Ford, the parent company of Lincoln, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are warning owners of nearly 143,000 Lincoln MKC compact SUVs to park them outside and away from buildings and other vehicles because they could potentially catch fire, even when not running.

The issue stems from a battery monitoring sensor that, because of where it’s placed in the vehicle, could get damaged when the battery or electric components around it are serviced. The damage could cause a short circuit that, because there’s no fuse in the circuitry, could lead to overheating and a fire.

The vehicles involved are model year 2015 through 2019 Lincoln MKC SUVs. Ford is aware of a total of 19 “potentially related” underhood fires in MKCs, most of them in North America, according to NHTSA reports. The company is unaware of any physical injuries related to the fires, though.

Owners will be advised by mail to park their vehicles outside and away from other vehicles. Owners will also be advised to take their vehicles to a Lincoln dealer to have a fuse installed at no cost to the owner

Concerned owners are also being advised to contact a Lincoln dealer with any questions or to call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Owners can also visit NHTSA’s SaferCar.gov website and enter their vehicles Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see if it’s involved in the recall.