Ford is recalling over 270,000 vehicles over a shifter malfunction that can cause vehicles to shift gears and roll away on their own. 

The recall is for 2019 Ford Rangers and 2013-2016 Ford Fusions.

According to Ford's recall on 2019 Ford Rangers:

On some affected vehicles, the two fasteners that secure the transmission shift cable bracket to the transmission housing may not have been torqued to specification. Over time, an improperly torqued fastener could allow the transmission shift cable bracket to become loose and the transmission to be in a gear state different from the gearshift position selected by the driver.

This condition could allow the driver to remove the ignition key (if equipped) with no instrument panel warning message or chime indicating that the transmission is not in park. This could allow unintended vehicle movement or roll away if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

So far, there are no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of this issue. The recall on the 2019 Ford Rangers affects approximately 2,500 vehicles in the United States that were  built at Michigan Assembly Plant, March 5-13, 2019.

You can take your 2019 Ranger to a Ford dealer, where they will "properly torque the two fasteners and verify the proper operation of the transmission selector assembly according to established workshop manual procedure." Until you get the repair, you are asked to use your parking break whenever your vehicle is parked.  The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S15.

As far as the recall on the Ford Fusions go, affected vehicles are 2013-2016 select Fusion models that are equipped with a 2.5-liter engine. Ford's recall states:

On affected vehicles, the bushing that attaches the shifter cable may degrade and detach from the transmission. A shifter cable that detaches from the transmission may allow the transmission to be in a gear state different from the gearshift position selected by the driver.

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. If the parking brake is not applied, a shifter cable that detaches from the transmission could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Ford says they have been notified of three reports of property damage and one report of injury related to the malfunction on the Fusions. At this time, Ford is still trying to determine the cause of the problem and how to fix it. Owners will be notified when the problem is solved and ready to be repaired. In the meantime, owners of these Fusions are asked to always use your parking break until you are able to get the issue resolved.  The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S16.

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