The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
The risk
If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape | 2013, 2014 |
| Ford Fusion | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Escape | 2013 | 2,753 | 18 |
| Ford Escape | 2014 | 2,089 | 16 |
| Ford Fusion | 2013 | 1,792 | 19 |
| Ford Fusion | 2014 | 1,333 | 19 |
| Ford Fusion | 2015 | 997 | 13 |
| Ford Fusion | 2016 | 1,646 | 13 |
Other power train recalls in 2018
44 of the 912 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2018 concerned the power train; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 18V944000 31 Dec 2018 | Arcimoto Inc |
| 18V931000 21 Dec 2018 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 18V903000 19 Dec 2018 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 18V901000 19 Dec 2018 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 18V889000 14 Dec 2018 | Autocar, LLC |
| 18V885000 12 Dec 2018 | Blue Bird Body Company |
| 18V884000 12 Dec 2018 | Blue Bird Body Company |
| 18V879000 11 Dec 2018 | Forest River, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2018