The Ford Motor Company has recalled nearly 350,000 F-series pickup trucks and Expeditions from the 2018 model year that were sold in North America. The affected vehicles may have an automatic transmission gear shift cable locking clip that is not fully seated. Drivers could potentially exit a vehicle mistakenly believing the vehicle is in park, which creates the potential for rollaway vehicles.
The recall covers certain 2018 Ford F-150 pickup trucks and 2018 Ford Expedition SUVs with 10-speed automatic transmissions, as well as 2018 F-650 and F-750 trucks with 6-speed automatic transmissions.
Note that Ford issued a second recall also affecting transmissions staying in park. The second recall affects less than 200 vehicles in all, including select F-150s, Expeditions, Mustangs, and 2018 Lincoln Navigators. Because readers may confuse the second recall with the much wider locking clip recall, we have included information about the second recall lower in this article.
Of the total 347,425 vehicles in the primary recall, 292,909 were sold in the United States and federalized territories, 51,742 in Canada, and 2,774 in Mexico.
The vehicles in the recall include:
- 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles built at the Dearborn Assembly Plant from January 5, 2017, to February 16, 2018
- 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles built at the Kansas City Assembly Plant from January 25, 2017, to February 16, 2018
- 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles built at the Kentucky Truck Plant from April 3, 2017, to January 30, 2018
- 2018 Ford F-650 and F-750 vehicles built at the Ohio Assembly Plant from April 25, 2017, to March 9, 2018
A partially or fully unseated locking clip could result in “unintended vehicle movement.” Specifically, the gear shift lever may incorrectly indicate the transmission is in park. A driver could turn off the ignition key and leave the vehicle without realizing it’s not in park and with no warning that the transmission is still in gear.
According to a Ford statement, “Ford is aware of one reported accident and injury related to this condition.”
Dealers will inspect recalled vehicles free of charge to make sure cable locking clips are properly installed and secure. If the cable isn’t seated securely, the dealership will adjust the cable and reinstall the locking clip.
A second recall
The second Ford recall affects a total of 161 vehicles sold in North America. The issue in this recall is a potentially missing roll pin used to attach the park pawl rod guide cup to the transmission case. The affected vehicles all have Ford’s 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission.
Over time, the missing roll pin could disable the transmission’s park function, but with no warning to the driver. If the driver doesn’t set the parking brake, as with the locking clip issue in the much larger recall, the vehicle experience a rollaway, or as the recall notice describes it, “unintended vehicle movement.”
The breakdown is 142 cars, trucks, and SUVs in the U.S. and federalized territories, 18 in Canada, and one in Mexico.
The specific models in the roll pin recall include:
- 2017-18 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Assembly Plant, October 20, 2016, to March 5, 2018
- 2017-18 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant, December 22, 2017, to February 26, 2018
- 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, November 28, 2017, to February 14, 2018
- 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, November 6, 2017, to February 12, 2018
- 2018 Lincoln Navigator vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant, December 13, 2017, to March 8, 2018
As with the much larger recall, Ford dealers will inspect the recalled vehicles and if necessary, install a missing park pawl rod guide cup roll pin at no charge to the customer.
FCA’s 2016 rollaway recall
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) had a similar recall issue in 2016 involving 811,586 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers. The FCA recall problem also involved a transmission shifter position indicator that didn’t reflect the actual gear the vehicle was in.
For further information about these recalls or to check for recalls for any vehicle, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Issues and Recalls website. You can search for recall information for specific models by entering a Vehicle Information Number (VIN), or by entering the vehicle year, make, and model. You can also search by specific complaints such as “automatic transmission” or “car seats.”
Updated April 8: Added information about second Ford recall affecting many fewer vehicles, but with a related issue.
