Ford Recalls 741,195 SUVs and Trucks Because Park Doesn't Always Mean Park
A transmission fault that lets the park pawl engage while a vehicle is still moving spans Expeditions, Navigators, Explorers, Aviators, and F-150s built across four model years — and the permanent fix isn't ready until next spring.
Ford is recalling 741,195 vehicles in the US over a transmission fault that can leave a parked vehicle unable to actually hold itself in Park, according to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall spans four model years and five nameplates: 2018-2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, 2020-2021 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, and 2021 Ford F-150 pickups.
The defect traces to the transmission's valve body separator plate, which can restrict fluid flow to the park valve. When that happens, Ford says, the transmission's park pawl — the mechanical tooth that physically locks the gearset once the driver selects Park — can briefly engage while certain shifts are being commanded and the vehicle is still in motion. That premature engagement can damage the park system's internal components. Once damaged, the transmission may no longer be able to reliably hold the vehicle in Park at all, which is what creates the rollaway risk NHTSA's filing describes.
Ford says it's aware of 24 allegations of property damage and nine alleged injuries connected to the condition, two of which the company has classified as emotional rather than physical. The recall notification is arriving in two phases: initial letters going out by first-class mail between August 3 and August 7, 2026, informing owners of the risk, followed by a second round of final notification letters scheduled for April 5 through April 9, 2027, once the permanent repair is ready. In the meantime, dealers will update the powertrain control module's software at no charge — a fix aimed at preventing the transmission from commanding the specific shifts that can trigger the pawl's premature engagement — and will inspect each vehicle's transmission for existing damage, replacing any affected components free of charge.
The eight-month gap between the interim software fix and the permanent remedy means owners of affected Expeditions, Navigators, Explorers, Aviators, and F-150s will be living with a stopgap measure well into 2027. Ford framed the recall as part of a broader posture rather than an isolated incident, telling reporters: "The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers." For the roughly three-quarters of a million owners waiting on a permanent fix, that's a statement about process — not a guarantee that the interim software update fully closes the gap between now and next spring.
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