Ford Recalls More Than 741,000 Vehicles Over Transmission Flaw That Could Cause Cars to Roll While Parked

Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 741,000 vehicles in the United States after discovering a transmission defect that could damage the vehicles' park system, potentially allowing them to move unexpectedly even when drivers believe they are safely parked.

According to a report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Ford F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition SUVs, along with Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Navigator models from the 2018 through 2021 model years. The affected vehicles span some of Ford's most popular and high-volume nameplates, meaning the recall touches a substantial cross-section of the automaker's recent lineup.

The underlying problem stems from a transmission issue that can cause temporary engagement of the vehicle's parking pawl, a mechanical component responsible for locking the transmission and preventing the vehicle from rolling once it has been shifted into park, while the vehicle is still in motion. According to the NHTSA report, this can occur when certain gear shifts are commanded by the transmission while the vehicle continues moving, potentially damaging components within the park system itself.

If that damage occurs, the consequences can extend well beyond a simple mechanical malfunction. Once the park system has been compromised, the transmission's ability to hold the vehicle stationary in park may be affected, particularly in situations where the driver has not also engaged the parking brake. The NHTSA report warns that this creates the risk of unintended vehicle movement even after a driver has shifted into park and exited the vehicle, a scenario the agency said increases the risk of a crash or injury.

The scope of real-world consequences tied to the defect is already documented in regulatory filings. According to the NHTSA, Ford has acknowledged 24 allegations of property damage connected to the issue, along with nine alleged injuries. Of those nine injury allegations, two specifically involve claims of emotional injury, suggesting that beyond physical harm, some affected owners have reported psychological distress tied to experiencing unexpected vehicle movement.

Ford's remedy for the defect centers on a software update rather than a full mechanical overhaul for most affected vehicles. Owners whose vehicles are included in the recall will receive notification by mail directing them to bring their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership, where technicians will update the vehicle's Powertrain Control Module to the latest available software version. As part of that same dealership visit, technicians will also inspect the transmission for any existing park system damage and replace damaged components as necessary. Ford has confirmed that both the software update and any required component replacement will be performed at no cost to vehicle owners.

The recall adds to what has been a recurring pattern of safety actions affecting Ford's full-size truck and SUV lineup in recent years, as the automaker continues working through various mechanical and software-related issues identified across its most popular vehicle platforms. The F-150, in particular, has remained one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States for decades, meaning recalls affecting that model tend to carry an outsized impact simply due to the sheer number of vehicles on American roads.

For owners uncertain about whether their specific vehicle is included in the recall, Ford has set up a dedicated customer service line at 1-866-436-7332 to field questions and provide guidance on next steps. Owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration directly through its Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, a federal resource that fields inquiries related to vehicle recalls, safety defects and broader automotive safety concerns across all manufacturers, not just Ford.

Federal regulators have continued to emphasize that consumers should not wait for any visible symptoms before addressing an active recall, given that defects like this one can remain undetected during normal driving conditions until the specific circumstances that trigger the malfunction actually occur. Because the issue specifically involves the parking pawl engaging unexpectedly while the vehicle is still moving, drivers may have limited warning before a malfunction affects their ability to safely park the vehicle using the transmission alone.

This recall underscores the continued importance of using a vehicle's parking brake in conjunction with the transmission's park setting, a practice that safety officials have long recommended as a general precaution regardless of any specific known defect, since it provides a secondary mechanism for keeping a vehicle stationary even if the primary transmission-based park function were to fail for any reason. In this particular case, NHTSA's report specifically noted that the risk of unintended movement is heightened in situations where the parking brake has not also been applied, reinforcing that general safety guidance as a meaningful interim precaution for owners awaiting their dealership appointment.

Vehicle recalls of this scale are not uncommon across the broader auto industry, where manufacturers routinely identify and address defects affecting hundreds of thousands or even millions of vehicles as part of ongoing safety monitoring required under federal law. Automakers are generally required to notify NHTSA and initiate a recall once a safety-related defect has been identified, regardless of how many real-world incidents have actually been documented, since the regulatory threshold for action is based on the existence and nature of the defect rather than solely on the volume of confirmed incidents.

Owners of affected Ford F-150, Explorer, Expedition, Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Navigator vehicles from the 2018 through 2021 model years are encouraged to watch for official recall notification by mail and to schedule a service appointment with their local Ford or Lincoln dealer as soon as that notice arrives, given the safety risks associated with potential unintended vehicle movement while parked.