A massive recall was announced by Ford this morning, involving just over 2.9 million vehicles. The problem this time? An issue with the bushing that secures the gearshift cable to the transmission.
The issue affects several models: the Escape SUV (2013 to 2019), C-Max (2013 to 2018), Fusion (2013 to 2016), Transit Connect (2013 to 2021) and Edge (2015 to 2018).
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. equivalent of Transport Canada, the bushing can degrade or detach, which could prevent the lever from being placed in the position desired by the driver.
In effect, this means that a parked vehicle could have its transmission not in the Park position, which could result in rollaways. In addition, if the vehicle’s engine is turned off when not in Park, it might not restart (even if the shifter is in the "P" position).
To reduce risk of a rollaway, drivers are advised to always activate the vehicle's parking brake.
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Between April 29, 2015, and March 31, 2022, thus over an extended period of time, Ford identified 1,630 warranty claims and 233 NHTSA vehicle reports (VOQs) associated with this issue. The automaker is aware of six reports alleging property damage and four citing an injury potentially related to this issue, among the list of recalled models.
This is the fifth time Ford has recalled vehicles for similar issues. The fix the company is proposing has owners taking their vehicle to their dealer to have the shift cable bushing replaced and a protective cap added. Owners who have already paid for the repair of this problem may be eligible for a refund before August 29, 2022. Letters will be sent to owners of affected vehicles this month.
This recall joins an impressive list that has been affecting Ford products for the past few weeks and months, the most recent being the recall of the Mustang Mach-E earlier this week.