In 2016, seven days after actor Anton Yelchin was killed by his own Jeep, a recall notice was allegedly delivered to his house in California. Yelchin’s vehicle was one of the 811,586 vehicles recalled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) because the dashboard was incorrectly indicating where the transmission shifter was positioned, leading to vehicles rolling away. Yelchin’s recall notice came a week too late. Earlier this month, Ford announced the recall of 347,425 of their vehicles over a similar concern with the intention that every affected owner is notified and takes immediate action.
Ford, in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has identified that 2018 Ford-150 pickup trucks built at assembly plants in Michigan and Missouri, from January 2017 to February 2018, have the potential to roll away because of a faulty gear shift cable locking clip. It was also found that Ford Expeditions assembled in Kentucky and Ford F-650 and F-750 heavy duty pickup trucks manufactured in Ohio, from April 2017 to March 2018, are also affected by the same issue.
According to Ford’s recall notice the defect, “could allow the driver to move the shifter to park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission gear may not be in park, with no instrument panel warning message or warning chime when the driver’s door is opened that indicates the vehicle is not secured in park. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.”
At least one accident that allegedly led to an injury of unknown severity has been reported in connection to Ford’s recall. Last month, Ford recalled 1.3 million of their Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKX vehicles because their steering wheels could fall off, resulting in two accidents. Ford also recalled another 2,100 of their Taurus sedans, model year 2017 to 2018, because of a separate roll away risk connected to an ignition switch malfunction.
All owners of recalled Fords will be contacted by the company for free repairs. However, if the car is purchased second hand, Ford may not have the correct contact information. To find out if your vehicle has been affected by a recall, locate your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and visit: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls