Ford is recalling roughly 119,000 vehicles because their engine block heaters have a defect that increases the risk of fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

The recall involves some 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer and 2024 Explorer vehicles as well as certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engines.

The NHTSA says the vehicles' engine block heaters may crack and develop coolant leaks, causing them to short circuit when the block heaters are plugged in.

"This increases the risk of an under-hood fire when the vehicle is parked and the engine block heater is plugged into a 110-volt electrical supply," Ford said in a statement.

The carmaker said owners of affected vehicles should stop using their engine block heater immediately and not plug it into any sort of power source until the issue has been addressed.

"The risk of fire is only present when the heater is plugged into an electrical outlet," Ford said.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be in the mail Feb. 13, and more letters will be sent once the final repair is available, which the NHTSA expects will be in April.

Ford said it's developing a new block heater element and that once it becomes available, customers can visit a Ford dealer for a free replacement.

Another option is to have the vehicle's block heater removed and a threaded plug installed at a Ford dealer, the company said. Ford said dealers will provide that service free of charge.

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