A manufacturing error in the transmission of precisely two 2023 Ford Broncos is leading to a fairly urgent recall over a rollaway risk. The vehicles in question are equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission, a small part of which may have broken during assembly.
Ford first became aware of an issue on June 1, following a warranty claim submitted by a dealer. That particular issue was related to a 2023 F-150 with only 3,600 miles (5,794 km) on the odometer. The owner of the vehicle said that their truck had rolled away while it was in “park.”
The automaker requested the return of the transmission, and tore it down to conduct a full analysis. It discovered that the abutment cup on the transmission was damaged, so Ford Manufacturing Engineering reviewed the pin to abutment cup press curve, and it showed “a distinctive signature,” according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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It used that cup press curve signature to find similar transmissions built at the same plant, and then traced them by serial numbers to two additional vehicles, both Broncos. Ultimately, it found that the abutment may have been cracked due to a misalignment during the assembly process.
The cup acts as a mechanical guide for the parking pawl and the parking gear engagement. The damage caused to this part could cause debris, which could in turn prevent the pawl from fully engaging. That means that even if the vehicle is in “park,” it may not be held in place.
Owners may get a “check engine” warning if their vehicle’s parking pawl is affected, and they may also hear a noise coming from the transmission alerting them to the presence of a problem.
Ford says that it has already tried to reach out to the two owners, but will try again on August 21 as part of this official recall notice. They will be invited to return their vehicle to a nearby dealer, where the transmission will be replaced at no cost to them.
