In the world of fleet management, vehicle downtime is an inevitable frustration, but nothing supersedes the health and safety of your drivers.

Recently, Ford issued an urgent safety recall affecting a vast number of Ford Transit and Ford Transit Custom commercial vehicles. Because these models are the backbone of the UK’s commercial fleets, this recall is currently causing significant disruption across the industry, impacting both company-owned vehicles and the national rental supply.

We want to ensure our clients are fully informed about the technical nature of the recall, the symptoms drivers need to look out for, and how we are proactively supporting your operations during this nationwide shortage.

The Core Issue: 12-Volt Battery Venting

The safety recall centres around a manufacturing defect regarding the 12-volt battery system in certain Transit and Transit Custom models.

Battery gas venting is a standard, built-in safety mechanism designed to release gases from the battery, preventing high pressure from building up within the housing. Under normal, safe circumstances, these gases are expelled safely outside the vehicle’s cabin.

However, Ford has identified that in affected vehicles, incorrect venting can cause these gases to leak directly into the cabin area. During a normal battery gassing event, hydrogen and oxygen are produced. But if temperatures increase, a side chemical reaction can occur that produces hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Hydrogen sulphide can be highly harmful to human health, and the safety risk increases significantly with higher levels of exposure and longer exposure times.

Critical Symptoms for Drivers to Watch For

Whether your drivers are operating a company-owned Transit or a hired rental vehicle, they must be highly vigilant on the road. Please instruct your teams to pull over safely, exit the vehicle immediately, and contact their support line if they notice any of the following warning signs inside the cabin:

• A strong acid or “rotten egg” smell
• A distinct hissing sound
• Visible gas venting from the battery location
• Unexplained or unusual heat emanating from the front seats

Industry-Wide Impact on Vehicle Supply

Because this is a mandatory safety recall with severe health implications, the impact on the UK’s commercial vehicle supply has been immediate and disruptive.

Our rental partners, including Enterprise, have had to ground approximately 15,000 Ford vehicles across their UK fleet with immediate effect. This grounding heavily impacts the popular V3, V4, and V6 commercial vehicle classes. Legally and ethically, these vehicles cannot be rented out until they have been inspected by a Ford dealer and confirmed as unaffected, or until the necessary rectification work is carried out.

The Effect on Hired and Company-Owned Vans

For hired vehicles, we are currently seeing cancellations, delays, and mandatory vehicle swap-outs across the entire rental network. General van supply will remain heavily constrained while rental providers work through the massive backlog of dealership safety checks.

For company-owned vehicles, the physical assessment takes less than an hour, and Ford anticipates that only a relatively small number of vans will actually require mechanical rectification. However, the sheer volume of vehicles needing to be checked has created a sudden bottleneck at Ford dealerships nationwide.

How Fleet Service GB is Supporting Clients

We understand that commercial vehicles are the lifeblood of your business. Not having the vans you need directly impacts your service levels, your customers, and your bottom line.

Please be assured that the team at Fleet Service GB is actively managing this situation on behalf of our clients. We are working closely with our rental partners to explore all available alternatives and secure replacement vehicles wherever possible. Simultaneously, we are speaking directly with dealerships to push for priority bookings for our clients’ owned vehicles. As well as actively exploring whether mobile technicians can attend vehicles on-site to speed up the assessment process.

Our Commitment to Driver Safety

We ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented industry-wide disruption. Our priority and our regulatory duty is the safety of your drivers. We will not compromise on safety, and we are committed to working through this backlog as quickly and efficiently as possible to keep your business moving.

About Fleet Service GB

Fleet Service GB is a multi-award-winning fleet management company providing technology-driven, customer-centric solutions for UK fleets. Through our comprehensive suite of services, including Maintenance Management, Accident Management, Driver Management, and Rental Managemenwe help businesses optimize performance, reduce costs, and ensure absolute compliance and safety on the roads. For more information, visit www.fleetservicegb.co.uk.

Helpful Links & Resources

For more information regarding vehicle recalls and rental policies, please consult the following resources:

• Ford UK Safety Recalls: You can check the specific recall status of your company-owned vehicles using your VIN or registration number at the Ford UK Recall Portal.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: For general information on Enterprise’s vehicle standards and support, visit www.enterprise.co.uk.