Ford Motor Co. has issued a recall for its F-150 pickup and Expedition SUV, citing gear shift problems which could lead drivers to think their vehicle is in park, even though it’s not, and that “unintended vehicle movement” could happen.
For the recall, it covers around 350,000 vehicles made for the 2018 model year that have 6-speed and 10-speed automatic transmissions. Ford says that it is “aware of one reported accident and injury related to this condition.”
Digging deeper into the issues, affected vehicles’ transmission gear shift cable clip isn’t be “seated properly,” which allows it to dislodge over time. When this happens, the transmission could be left in a gear that’s different from what the driver chooses to have it in, and also showing differently on the instrument panel.
Here’s what Ford’s recall notice says:
“This could allow the driver to move the shifter to park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission gear may not be in park, with no instrument panel warning message or warning chime when the driver’s door is opened that indicates the vehicle is not secured in park. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.”
Ford says that the recall affects some 347,425 vehicles in North American, including nearly 293,000 in the U.S. and its territories. Additionally, more than 51,000 vehicles in Canada and 2,774 in Mexico.
The affected vehicles include:
- 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles built at the Dearborn Assembly Plant from Jan. 5, 2017, to Feb. 16, 2018
- 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles built at the Kansas City Assembly Plant from Jan. 25, 2017, to Feb. 16, 2018
- 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles built at the Kentucky Truck Plant from April 3, 2017, to Jan. 30, 2018
- 2018 Ford F-650 and F-750 vehicles built at the Ohio Assembly Plant from April 25, 2017, to March 9, 2018
To correct this issue, Ford says: “Dealers will inspect and verify that the shift cable locking clip was properly installed. If the clip is not properly seated, technicians will adjust the shifter cable and secure the locking clip at no cost to the customer.”
