The company said the block heater cable may get corroded over time due to the contaminants and water, which may, in turn, cause a short or damage the heater. The second largest automaker in the country added that no accidents or fatalities have been reported so far related to this.
Ford said its dealers will replace the damaged block heater cables, and if there is no corrosion, dielectric grease will be applied to the splice connector. The recall is likely to begin in early January.
Ford (F) shares fell 0.25% during intraday trading on Friday. The stock has declined 35% since the start of this year.
Earlier in August, the company had recalled over 50,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles over faulty charging cables that catch fire on overheating. That recall included 49,197 vehicles in the US and 1,327 vehicles in Canada.
Electric vehicles stand a risk of catching fire in the plug area when they are charged using the non-standard plug. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrid vehicles can catch fire if the power supply cable is not properly secured, causing the nut to be cross-threaded.