Ford Recalls More Than 272,000 Vehicles Due to Park Issue | Carscoops

      A software problem might hinder some Ford vehicles from properly engaging in Park, leading to a significant recall.

      Ford is recalling 272,645 vehicles due to a possible parking defect.

      This issue impacts the F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and Maverick Hybrid.

      The fault has been identified as stemming from tight tolerances in the integrated park module.

      This year, Ford has already exceeded its prior recall record, approaching 150 campaigns affecting millions of vehicles. Now, it is adding two more recalls, totaling over 280,000 cars, trucks, and SUVs. In most cases, a straightforward software fix will resolve the problem, though about 7,000 owners will need to visit a dealership.

      Initially, we should focus on the 272,645 vehicles, which include the Mustang Mach-E, Maverick, and F-150 Lightning. The recalled units have an integrated park module (IPM) that might fail to engage the parking pawl correctly when the driver selects Park. This situation poses a significant roll-away risk.

      Origin of the Parking Issue

      Ford has traced the problem to binding between the IPM pawl and slider, which is attributed to variations in friction linked to manufacturing processes and material tolerances. Many companies have been facing challenges with tight tolerances recently.

      While the problem may occur intermittently, drivers affected may notice warning signs such as a non-illuminated “P” indicator, a wrench warning light, and a shift system fault message on the instrument panel.

      The affected group consists of 104,113 F-150 Lightning pickups, 88,064 Mustang Mach-E crossovers, and 80,468 Maverick Hybrids. Ford estimates that about 1 percent of the recalled vehicles may actually experience the defect and reports no known accidents or injuries associated with the issue so far.

      The remedy will involve a free software update, which can be conducted either over the air or at a dealership. This update will adjust the vehicle’s Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Module C, enabling the system to automatically unbind the park mechanism if the issue arises.

      Addressing the Super Duty Issue

      Additionally, Ford has announced a second recall impacting nearly 7,000 trucks. Specifically, 6,819 Super Duty pickups from the 2026 model year may have axle shafts that could break under load.

      All affected vehicles feature a single rear wheel axle measuring 10.5 inches. Ford will replace these axles when the vehicles come in for the recall repair.