The vehicles contain a software malfunction that could allow them to roll away under certain conditions.
Ford Motor Company announced last week that it was recalling approximately 65,000 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, and Fusion Energi sedans from the 2014 and 2015 model years. According to the Car Connection, the sedans contain a software malfunction that could allow the vehicles to roll away under certain conditions.
“This issue allows the key to be removed 30 minutes after the ignition is turned off, even if the transmission is not in Park,” Ford said in a statement. “This is a compliance issue with FMVSS 114, a regulation involving theft protection and rollaway prevention. ”
Basically, a glitch in the instrument array of these vehicles lets drivers remove the key from the ignition once the car has been turned off for 30 minutes, whether the car is in Park or not. Consequently, if the car is not in Park, the emergency brake is not engaged, and the car is sitting on an incline, it could roll away when the key is removed.
Ford states that there have been no accidents or injuries related to this software problem so far, and that dealerships will reprogram the instrument cluster at no cost to the customer.
While no small number, the 65,000 vehicles pulled by Ford during this recall is chump change compared to the over 1 million vehicles recalled by GM earlier this year. In that recall, a faulty ignition switch was linked to the deaths of at least 30 people. Indeed, the Washington Post reports that 2014 was the worst year for auto recalls in U.S. history, with nearly one in five cars and trucks on the road affected.
Leave a Reply