Ford recalls Ranger, Fusion vehicles at risk of rolling unexpectedly
Drivers of the new Ford Ranger midsize pickup truck, along with owners of the 2013-16 Ford Fusion sedan, may think their vehicle is safely in the "park" position when it is not and may roll unexpectedly.
Consumers have reported property damage and an injury related to the Fusion defect, Ford said Wednesday.
The company is recalling about 270,000 Fusions and 2,760 Rangers in North America to address the issue.
On some affected Rangers, the two fasteners that secure the transmission shift cable bracket to the transmission housing may not have been torqued to specification, the company said. Over time, the cable bracket can loosen and the transmission would be in a different gear than the gearshift selected by the driver.
"This condition could allow the driver to remove the ignition key (if equipped) with no instrument panel warning message or chime indicating that the transmission is not in park. This could allow unintended vehicle movement or roll away if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury," Ford said in a statement.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition at this time.
Dealers will adjust Ranger fasteners and verify everything is safe. Drivers are urged to use the parking brake at all times until the fix has been done. The recall reference number is 19S15.
"A recall on an all-new vehicle isn’t uncommon," said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book. "It’s happened in the last 12 months on multiple new cars or SUVs, including models from Europe and Asia. This Ranger recall is fairly straightforward and should be easy to fix and verify. The challenging part of this recall, like all vehicle recalls, is getting the information to affected owners and having them respond in a timely manner."
Injury reported
Ford also issued a safety alert for its 2013-16 Fusion midsize sedans with 2.5-liter engines for similar problems.
Fusion drivers may shift their lever into park and remove the ignition key but the transmission is actually not in park, with no warning message or audible chime, Ford said in its recall alert. If the parking brake is not applied, a shift cable that detaches from the transmission could allow the car to roll, increasing the risk of injury or crash, Ford said.
Ford is aware of three reports of property damage and one report of an injury potentially related to this condition.
The root cause is in the process of being confirmed, Ford said. Dealers and Fusion owners will be instructed to always use the parking brake, and they will be notified when the final remedy is available, the company said. The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S16.
Follow Detroit Free Press reporter Phoebe Wall Howard on Twitter @phoebesaid.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford recalls Ranger, Fusion vehicles at risk of rolling unexpectedly
