It is still a few months since 2017 greeted us but that doesn't stop Ford from announcing a public recall of its F-250 trucks. The reason: they could simply roll away even if the transmission has been set to "Park."
Cause. As many suspected, the problem lies with the truck's transmission and this is part of a manufacturing error. To put it simply, if the park rod actuating plate is damaged, this means the transmission might not put itself in "Park." This is despite the position of the gear selector.
In Ford's statement: "In the affected vehicles, a damaged park rod actuating plate might not achieve mechanical park within the automatic transmission after the driver moves the shift lever to park. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement with the gear selector in park without warning, increasing the risk of injury or crash."
Fortunately, as of this writing and as of their massive recall, there have been no reported accidents or injuries caused by the manufacturing defect. Talk about literally rolling in style.
Affected trucks. There were 52,680 Ford F-250 recalled vehicles which are all in North America. Of that total number, 48,421 are in the US and its federalized territories, while the 4,143 are in Canada.
The recall applies to gasoline-powered 6.2-liter Ford F-250 trucks. These specific trucks were built between October 9, 2015, and March 30, 2017, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Remedy. Of course, dealers will replace the truck's defective part free of charge. However, as of this writing, replacement parts are not yet available but the company will notify Ford F-250 owners of their availability. In the meantime, Ford recommends that drivers use the parking brake just to make sure the when the trucks are parked, they don't move at all.
This is Ford's second recall in the past few weeks following the recall of 570,000 vehicles last March in both Europe and North America. This was to fix a problem that caused engine fires and car doors opening unexpectedly.
So, if you own a Ford F-250, head out to your nearest dealership so they can inspect the park rod actuating plate in the transmission for any defect. And there is, they can remedy this once the parts are available. If yet you are unsure if your car is part of the recall, visit NHTSA Recall website and enter your car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
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