Ford recalls Fusion, Ranger for separate transmission issues

Whether it's to ease the shock or save time by writing press releases, Ford loves to publish multiple reminders simultaneously. Sometimes they have no relation to each other, but this time, the two reminders focus on elements related to the transmission.

Remember the first: Ranger fasteners

The first reminder of the day by Ford concerns about 2,500 copies of the 2019 Ranger mid-size pickup. The vehicles were all built at the Ford assembly plant in Michigan, from March 5 to 13, 2019. This recall concerns also about 260 trucks in Canada.

The problem comes from the fasteners that attach a transmission cable holder to the transmission case. These fasteners may not be tightened to the appropriate specifications. If one or both of the fasteners become loose, the transmission may change to a different gear than the one selected by the driver. This can create a deployment situation if the vehicle is placed in the park without actually going to the park, and allow the driver to remove the ignition key without the vehicle being in the park.

The recalled vehicles will have to return to their dealerships. There, Ford technicians will tighten the bindings to the proper specifications and verify that the transmission and gearshift are properly synchronized. In the meantime, Ford recommends applying the parking brake when the vehicle is stopped, just in case.

Remember the second: the fusion rings

Ford's second recall involves a much larger number of vehicles, some 270,000 copies of the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion, all equipped with Ford's 2.5-liter I4 petrol engine. The vehicles were built both in the assembly plant of Flat Rock and in the assembly plant of Hermosillo between early 2012 and early 2016.

This problem comes from the shifter cable bushing, which helps reduce unwanted vibration. The crossing may degrade and detach from the transmission. The result is the same as in the first recall: if this happens, the gearbox could be in a different gear from that suggested by the gear selector. To date, three reports of alleged property damage and a suspected damage report that may be related to this defect have been reported to Ford.

Ford is still working on identifying the root cause and methodology for a final repair. Owners and dealers will be notified as soon as the remedy is available. In the meantime, Ford suggests liberal use of the parking brake.