Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) announced Wednesday morning that it is recalling about 2,760 model year 2019 Ford Ranger pickups and about 270,000 model years 2013 through 2016 Fusions to repair transmission issues with both vehicles. Some 259,000 of the Fusion passenger cars were sold in the United States, while the rest were sold in Canada. All but 260 of the Ranger pickups were sold in the United States.
The Ranger recall is being initiated to repair a problem with the transmission shift cable that could, over time, allow the cable’s bracket to loosen. If that were to happen, the vehicle might be left in a gear not selected by the driver.
If the gearshift lever has been placed in Park, the driver could remove the ignition key without setting off any warning signals that the truck is not actually in Park. According to Ford, this “allows unintended vehicle movement or roll away if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.” To date, the company is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.
The recall of the midsize Fusion vehicles stems from a different cause but yields the same result: the vehicle may not have been placed in the gear that the driver has selected. Again, if the parking brake is not set, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of an injury or a crash. Ford has received three reports of property damage and one alleging an injury that may be related to this issue. Neither the Fusion nor the Ranger are among the cars that are most likely to last 15 years.
The Fusion vehicles included in this recall are model years 2013 to 2016 Fusion 2.5-liter engine-equipped vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, from April 12, 2013, to Feb. 29, 2016, and at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Feb. 9, 2012, to April 4, 2016.
Last July Ford recalled more than 500,000 Fusion and Escape sport utility vehicles for a similar condition. This new recall does not include any vehicles covered in the previous recall.
The Ford Ranger recall includes vehicles built between March 5 and March 13, 2019, at the Michigan assembly plant. This is the second recall for the all-new midsize pickup since its reintroduction into the U.S. market late last year. In February, Ford revealed that it was reviewing the company’s testing methods for emissions and fuel economy following complaints from its own employees. In its Form 10-Q for the first quarter of this year, Ford said that the U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
Recalls aside, Ford cars have still managed to escape the list of cars Americans don’t want to buy.
Ford shares were last seen up about 1% to $10.35 late Wednesday morning. They have traded in a 52-week range of $7.41 to $12.15, and note that the consensus 12-month price target is $10.36.
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