Ford recalls hundreds of thousands of cars due to rollaway risks

Indiana consumers have the right to expect that the manufactured goods they purchase are safe and free of dangerous defects. Even though consumer product laws require manufacturers to design and produce safe products, manufacturers are still prone to making potentially-fatal errors and other mistakes.

Take the recent recall that Ford Motor Co. announced, for example. A potentially-fatal defect relating to approximately 550,000 Ford Escapes and Ford Fusions in North America makes the vehicles prone to rolling away after they’re parked.

According to Ford, no serious accidents or injuries have thus far been caused by the defect, which relates to a bushing that connects the shift cable on affected cars — specifically 2013 to 2016 model year Fusions and 2013 to 2014 model year Escapes.

Drivers of these vehicles could put them into park, expecting them to remain stationary, but because of the shift cable problem, they could come out of park and roll away. If such a rollaway event were to happen after the driver exited the vehicle, passersby and passing motorists could be in danger of fatal and serious injuries.

The automaker has requested that all owners of vehicles affected by the recall to visit their local Ford dealerships for a free recall repair. Ford is also asking vehicle owners to use their parking brakes and not rely on putting their cars in park.

It’s fortunate that Ford has acted swiftly enough to recall and correct this problem before any serious accidents or injuries were reported. However, not all vehicle recalls are instituted early enough to prevent a serious accident. If you or someone you love was injured because of a dangerous automotive defect, learn about your legal rights and options before it’s too late to pursue financial restitution in court.