Park Gear Issue Causes Recall Of 14,000 Ford Explorers And Lincoln Navigators

Ford has issued a recall for select 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Navigator in the United States and Canada.

According to the car manufacturer, the SUVs may be missing the manual park release cover. In addition, the instrument cluster of affected vehicles could still be in factory mode and, therefore, not display the gear positions and which gear is selected by the driver. The Detroit Free Press notes that federal safety regulations require the gear positions and selected gear to be displayed at all times.

Ford explained that “Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require the manual park release cover be in place and only removable with a tool. If the cover is not installed, the manual park release lever may be inadvertently activated, which could result in unintended vehicle movement if the electronic park brake is not applied.”

Also Read: 2020 Lincoln Navigator Arriving At Dealers In November With Extra Gear

The campaign concerns a total of 13,896 Explorer and Navigator models in the United States and 239 in Canada. Ford says that the majority of these are still at dealerships’ lots and not in the hands of customers. The affected Explorers models were built from March 27 to July 24 while the Navigators from April 10 to July 24.

To resolve the issue, dealers will inspect the vehicle for the manual park release cover and. if necessary, install one. They will also ensure the instrument cluster is out of factory mode and clear any diagnostic codes.

Ford issued a separate recall for the 2011-2017 Explorer on June 12, stating that 1.2 million vehicles in the United States “may experience a fractured rear suspension toe link.”