Ford Recalls 2020 Shelby GT350 & GT500 to Prevent Engine Damage
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Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21B26 covers a 2020 Shelby recall for improperly installed secondary timing chain tensioners. (Bad for your engine.)
The latest-gen Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is still a fairly new product, but it shares more than a few engine components with the recently discontinued Shelby GT350. (A car that’s suffered a few engine problems of its own.) And now some Shelby owners are beginning to receive notifications via their FordPass app that there is a recall for 2020 Shelby GT500 and Shelby GT350 models built at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant between December 2, 2019, and December 16, 2020.
The issue? Apparently, Ford technicians may have failed to properly activate the secondary timing chain tensioner used in both the 5.2L Voodoo and 5.2L Predator V8. This can cause a timing loss, which can lead to “internal engine damage, engine misfires, and an overall rough running engine.”
To address the problem, Ford created Customer Satisfaction Program 21B26 and placed a hold on all new GT500 sales for vehicles on dealer lots. GT350 and GT500 owners should receive information in the mail or via the Ford Pass app. FYI, this program expires on April 30, 2022.
Ford expects to mail letters to affected owners the week of May 10, 2021. But, in the meantime, dealers will repair any afflicted vehicles, even if the customer lacks the Ford letter. Contact information for owners of affected GT500s will be available by May 24, at which time dealers can also reach out on their own accord.
Customer Satisfaction Program 21B26 Inspection & Repair (If Needed)
According to Ford’s internal documents (links to download below), dealers need to inspect any vehicle produced in the aforementioned date range to see if the secondary timing chain tensioner was properly activated. (Figure 3 above.) If yes, the vehicle is good to go.
If not, dealers will then check to see if the vehicle’s timing is correct. If it is correct, Ford will then “remove front cover, replace secondary drive tensioner, guide, and chain.” If the timing is off, Ford will then remove spark plugs and perform cylinder leak down test to see if there was any damage — aka contact or no contact.
If there was no contact, Ford will remove the “front cover, replace secondary drive tensioner, guide, chain, Cylinder head and set timing.” If there was contact, Ford will also replace the pistons and rod. For more details about the recall, inspection, and repair process…
- Click HERE to download Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21B26 bulletin.
- Click HERE to down Attachment III for Customer Satisfaction Program 21B26, which details the inspection process.
More Not-Great Mustang Production News
This recall is yet another thorn in the side of Mustang fans and dealers who are also facing declining new vehicle inventory as a result of the ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage. The chips, used in a variety of vehicle systems such as infotainment and HVAC, remain in short supply, forcing automakers to cut production and temporarily idle plants.
Just this week, Ford announced another round of shutdowns at its North American and European plants, and this time, it includes the Flat Rock plant, which will be down the weeks of May 3 and May 10. Automakers and lawmakers have been scrambling to fix the chip supply chain in recent months, but some experts expect it to last at least through the end of the year, and perhaps even longer.
Photos: Ford
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