Driving a Ford Escape? Make sure you don’t spontaneously combust

People were up in arms when the Tesla Model S, the world’s safest electric vehicle, was caught on camera up in flames.

 Vehicle on fire.

Unfortunately, that's not the only car susceptible to catching on fire. So far, there have been 13 reports of sudden fires of 2013 Ford Escape vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. has issued two new recalls as a result of fire risks. The company is recalling about 140,000 2013 Escapes with 1.6-liter engines in the U.S. (total of 161,333 worldwide).

2013 Ford Escape.

The fires are said to be caused by the overheating of the engine cylinder head which can crack and cause oil leaks.

According to a Ford recall notice sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the second recall of 12,000 vehicles “the engine compartment fuel line may have been installed incorrectly when repaired under the prior recall. The misinstalled fuel line could chafe and eventually leak fuel.”

Ford recall release. (Release via National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Ford will begin contacting drivers in January to begin repairs at no charge, but in the meantime is not suggesting that owners stop driving their cars.

To help prevent future fire threats, Ford has installed a new engine temperature sensor that can better identify if an engine cylinder is overheating.

This is the seventh recall of Ford Escape vehicles since its 2013 redesign. The string of recalls from last year resulted in a $17 million fine for Ford.