Ford has determined that a potential safety defect exist in certain 2020 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Ranger trucks equipped with 10 speed automatic transmissions.

According to the defect report, some vehicles may have been manufactured with a gear shift cable lock that may not be fully seated. The partially seated clip could allow the transmission to slip and show a different gear than the transmission is in. This could result in “shifter mismatch”, “shifter inoperative”, “shifter stuck in park” or “no start” symptoms. Drivers may be able to shift into “Park” and remove the key while the transmission may not actually be in “Park”. The instrument panel display will continue to show the correct transmission gear state.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their Ford dealerships to have the shifting lock clip inspected and replaced as necessary. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S18 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-197.

Ford will be asking the owners of certain 2017 F-150 trucks equipped with ten speed transmissions to return to their dealers for a problem affecting the shift lever. According to the defect report, the pin attaching the transmission shift linkage to the transmission could come out. If this happens, the transmission will be stuck in the gear it was in when the pin came out.

Drivers may experience loose or low effort feel of the shift lever and inaccurate gear indication. When exiting the vehicle, if the transmission is not in Park, the key can be removed, but a warning chime will sound and a message will be displayed in the instrument cluster indicating that the transmission is not in “Park”. If the transmission is not in the “Park” or the “Neutral” position, the driver will not be able to restart the vehicle.

Dealers will replace the roll pin with an updated part. Owners wanting more information about the recall are asked to contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 17S36 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-671.

Maserati will be notifying the owners of certain 2014 Ghibli and Quattroporte vehicles, equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a monostable gear selector, about a safety problem affecting the powertrain system. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, the vehicles were manufactured with a gear shift lever which could mislead drivers into believing their transmission is in “Park”. The problem could result in the vehicle unexpectedly rolling away. Continue reading

General Motors has decided that certain 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles fail to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for “Transmission Shift Position Sequence”. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the transmission display module flash memory could become corrupted during momentary fluctuations in voltage. The transmission gear selection indicator may not illuminate the shift position and drivers could inadvertently select a gear other than what was intended, increasing the risk of an accident. Continue reading

An insufficient seal of the rear lamp assemblies of some 2015 Hyundai Genesis cars will have 24,400 owners returning to their dealership for repairs. According to the defect report on the NHTSA website, water entering the rear combination lamp assemblies could affect the range switch signals of the transmission. If this occurs while the vehicle is stopped and the shifter is moved from park to reverse or drive, or if it is moved from drive to reverse or park, drivers could experience:

  • an incorrect gear displayed on the instrument panel
  • illumination of the malfunction Indicator Lamp
  • a delay in the engagement of the selected gear

An incorrect gear indication could result in the vehicle moving in an unintended direction increasing the chances of an accident. Continue reading

An increase in warranty claims related to the shift cable in some 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata vehicles has led to an investigation and subsequent recall of certain cars manufactured between December 11, 2009 through May 29, 2014.

According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the cable connecting the transmission switch to the vehicle shift lever could become loose and disconnected. Drivers may not be able to move in or out of the “Park” position preventing the vehicle from being started and increasing the chance of unexpected roll away. Continue reading

GM will be asking a small number of Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicle owners to return their vehicles to a manufacturer approved repair facility because they may fail to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) number 102, “Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect.” They may also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, “Theft Protection and Roll-away Prevention.” Approximately 355 vehicles could be affected by this problem. Continue reading