Free Press Staff Report Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday recalled more than 500,000 Ford Fusions and Escapes that could roll when owners think the cars are in park. The recall is for 2013-16 model year Fusions and 2013-14 Escapes. On affected vehicles, Ford said, the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may detach from the transmission. If that happens, the transmission may be in a gear different than the gear shift position selected by the driver. In such a case, the driver could move the shift lever to “park” and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in “park,” with no warning message or chime. If the parking brake is not applied, the situation could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash. Read more: Advocacy group urges Ford to recall Explorers Dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing at no cost to the customer. In the meantime, owners should use their parking brake. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition. Affected vehicles include: 2014 Fusions built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, June 18-Sept. 15, 2013. 2014-16 Fusions built at Flat Rock, June 2-Aug. 31, 2015. 2013-14 Fusions built at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant, May 15-Sept. 15, 2013. 2014-16 Fusions built at Hermosillo, June 2-Aug. 31. 2013-14 Escapes built at Louisville Assembly Plant, May 15-Sept. 15, 2013. The recall involves 549,401 vehicles in North America.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>Enlarge Image Ford Sometimes issues that spur recalls aren't limited to a single problem in a single factory. That's the case with Ford's latest large recall. Ford has issued a recall covering approximately 550,000 examples of the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion sedan and the 2013-2014 Ford Escape SUV. The vehicles were built in three separate facilities -- Flat Rock and Louisville in the US, and Hermosillo in Mexico -- and carry build dates between June 18, 2013 and Aug. 31, 2015. Approximately 504,000 of these cars are in the US, with the rest split between Canada and Mexico. The problem stems from the transmission -- or, rather, a part connected to it. A bushing responsible for holding the shifter cable in the transmission might detach. If that happens, the transmission might be in a different gear than what the driver may think it's in. For example, you might put the car in Park, and the dashboard would show Park, but the car would still be in gear. Obviously, that presents a major safety issue, as unintended vehicle movement can cause harm to the car, a structure it's parked in or the driver and occupants. Thankfully, Ford has received no notifications of accidents or injuries related to this problem. Remedying the issue is straightforward. When the car is dropped off at a dealership, technicians will replace the shifter cable bushing in question. In the interim, Ford suggests that owners of affected vehicles use the parking brake every time the car is placed in Park. That way, even if it's still in gear, the parking brake will keep it from moving unintentionally.<doc-sep>
Ford issued a recall on Wednesday for more than a half-million Fusion and Escape vehicles that have a potential rollaway risk due to faulty shifter cable bushings. The automaker said Wednesday that select 2013-16 model year Fusions and 2013-14 Escapes have bushings that could detach from the transmission, and then allow the transmission to be in a different gear than whatever the driver had selected. “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,” Ford said. “If the parking brake is not applied, a degraded shifter cable bushing that detaches from the transmission could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.” Ford said it isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue, and the automaker encouraged owners to use their parking brake in the meantime. Dealers will replace the bushing at no cost, Ford said. The vehicles covered by the recall include: 2014 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant between June 18-Sept. 15, 2013 2014-16 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock between June 2, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015 2013-14 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant between May 15-Sept. 15, 2013 2014-16 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo between June 2, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015 2013-14 Ford Escape vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant between May 15-Sept. 15, 2013 As always, a friendly reminder: Get your recalls fixed.