Ford Recalls About 3 Million Vehicles That Could Roll Away When Parked

DETROIT — Ford is recalling nearly 3 million cars, SUVs and cargo vans that safety regulators said could roll away while parked.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall could affect as many as 2.9 million models of the Ford Escape, C-Max, Fusion, Transit Connect and Edge. Regulators estimate about 1 percent of the vehicles have the defect.

Safety regulators said the vehicles could roll away while parked due to a detached shift cable.

"A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction," the recall notice said. "Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury."

If the vehicle ignition is on, the instrument panel display position will show the correct transmission gear state, which may not match the gear shift lever position, a recall report said. The driver may also notice the defect when they shift to another gear and the vehicle responds differently than intended due to the transmission gear state.

Additionally, if a vehicle is turned off in a transmission gear state other than park, regardless of the gear shift lever position, the engine will not restart, the recall notice said.

The root cause of the defect was not immediately known. Ford’s investigation revealed that heat and humidity could contribute to the hydrological breakdown of the bushing material.

Ford is aware of six property damage reports and four potential injury-related reports stemming from the defect, a recall report said.

Owners can take the vehicles to a dealer to fix the issue. Notification letters are expected to be mailed June 27.

Owners can call Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. The recall number is 22S43.

Affected models:

• C-Max (2013-2018)
• Edge (2015-2018)
• Escape (2013-2019)
• Fusion (2013-2016)
• Transit Connect (2013-2021)