A rapidly degrading bushing in the suspensions of certain Ford vehicles has led to the recall of 2,925,968 vehicles. If the bushing fails, the vehicle may not shift into the gear the driver intends, thus increasing the risk of an injury.
The recall relates to the shift cable bushing in certain Ford vehicles produced between 2013 and 2021. Its job is to attach the shift cable to the transmission but it can degrade over time, allowing the cable to detach.
If this happens, the transmission may not shift into the gear that the lever position indicates. The vehicle provides the driver with no specific chime or warning about this, though the gear indicator in the instrument cluster should be correct.
Still, owners of the vehicle getting out in a hurry could easily move the lever into “park” without noticing what the dashboard indicates and leave their car when it isn’t in the correct gear. That could lead to a rollaway. Additionally, if you turn off your car when it’s not in “park” and can’t shift into that gear with the lever, the vehicle won’t start, potentially compounding your problems.
Ford isn’t clear on exactly what causes the bushing to degrade but notes that heat and humidity could have an impact. The company does, however, know which vehicles the bushing is in.
Which Models Are Affected?
The following vehicles are included in this recall: 1,726,763 2013-2019 Ford Escapes equipped with the 1.5-liter, 1.6-liter, 2.0-liter, or 2.5-liter engines and the 6F35 transmission; 143,220 2013-2018 Ford C-Maxes equipped with the 2.0-liter engine and the ECVT transmission; 439,483 2013-2016 Ford Fusions equipped with the 1.5-liter, 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter engines and the 6F35 or ECVT transmissions; 107,102 2013-2021 Ford Transit Connects equipped with the 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter engines and the 6F35 or 8F35 transmissions; as well as 509,400 2015-2018 Ford Edges equipped with the 2.0-liter, 2.7-liter, or 3.5-liter engines and the 6F35 or 6F55 transmissions.
Ford plans to get in touch with owners starting on June 27 and they will be asked to bring their vehicles into a local dealership in order to have the bushing replaced with a new, more robust part. In addition, Ford will also install a protective cap over the shift cable bushing. All repairs will be provided free of charge and owners who fixed this issue on their own dime will be compensated.
Ford is aware of 1,630 warranty claims related to this issue as well as six reports of property damage and four reports of injury that could be related to this issue.
