Ford India to voluntarily recall EcoSport diesel for Glow Plug Module problem

Ford has confirmed that they will be recalling the diesel models of the EcoSport compact SUV just weeks after the vehicle was officially made available in dealerships. Ford made headlines with their aggressive pricing, starting at Rs 5,59,000 ex-showroom, Delhi for the base petrol variant of the EcoSport.

2013 Ford EcoSport

The problem lies in the Glow-plug Control Module (GPCM) that appears to be vulnerable to malfunction or damage due to moisture. Ford has made the water wading capability - 550mm - of the EcoSport a bit of a USP, so the irony of this recall is inescapable. Since India is firmly in the midst of the monsoon, any potential problems related to moisture will likely raise their heads sooner than later.

Ford has not made an official announcement of the recall as yet, but is confirming the news when asked for comment. The solution they've come up with is a simple relocation of the GPCM to a higher installation point. The module is currently located near the front bumper and will be relocated to a safer place inside the engine bay. The modification is apparently minor and can be completed by the dealer.

Ford dealers continue to quote a 90 day waiting period for deliveries of all variants of the EcoSport, and we imagine that the diesel models will be particularly popular. Considering that very few customer vehicles are on the road already, the number of customers impacted by the recall is likely to be small. Considering that there's little engineering input in the recall, we're unlikely to see any further delivery delays due to it.

Ford issued the following statement to us: "As part of routine checks, we discovered a potential concern with EcoSport diesel variants related to the Glow Plug Module which requires relocating the module. We are contacting customers to take their vehicle to their Ford dealership to have the work carried out. No accidents or injuries have been reported related to this issue and this is a proactive, voluntary recall action to ensure customers' safety and satisfaction."

Update: Ford has clarified the current and future location of the GPCM. Text corrected accordingly.