Ford recalls more than 200,000 Transit Connect vans for transmission issue

Ford is recalling 2013-2021 Ford Transit Connect cargo and passenger vans equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the automaker announced Thursday. A faulty shift cable could fail to park the car. Operators of the affected vehicles can shift the gear selector into Park, turn off the engine, and walk away, but the vehicle won’t actually be in Park.

The recall encompasses 192,080 vehicles in the U.S. and 12,629 in Canada. It applies only to Transit Connect models equipped with a 2.5-liter inline-4 with a 6-speed automatic transmission, or 6F35, for transverse engine layouts. Newer models with the 8-speed automatic are not included in the recall. The 6F35 6-speed was new in 2007 models.

A faulty bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission can degrade or detach, Ford reported. A compromised or missing bushing could prevent the shifter from moving the transmission to the intended gear. If the operator thinks the vehicle is in Park and walks away without any warning in the instrument cluster, the vehicle could roll away. 

Ford said it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue, but the same issue has prompted recalls in the past. In 2018, Ford recalled more than 500,000 Ford Fusion and Ford Escape from the 2013-2014 model years for unintended vehicle movement due to a degraded bushing. 

Owners can expect notification of the recall as early as June 28, and dealers will replace the shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shifter cable bushing at no charge. Ford’s recall number is 21S24. To see if your vehicle is affected, visit Ford’s recall website.