NHTSA Complaint #11243929 — 2015 FORD EXPLORER

IN DECEMBER 2018 I TOLD MY LOCAL FORD SERVICE MANAGER OF MY VEHICLE GIVING ME A WARNING THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS NOT IN PARK OCCASIONALLY, THIS EVEN WHEN IT WAS. AT TIMES I WOULD HAVE TO RE-START THE VEHICLE, OR PLAY WITH THE GEAR SHIFT ITSELF TO GET IT TO STOP THE WARNING AND RETURN MY STEERING WHEEL AND SEAT TO ORIGINAL POSITIONS. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS THIS HAS BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE AS IT WAS HAPPENING ON A DAILY BASIS. WHEN I TOOK IT IN RECENTLY FOR A RECALL ON ANOTHER ISSUE THE SERVICE MANAGER DID INFORM ME THERE IS A TSB #17-2219 FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW I FOUND THAT THE TSB COVERS FIVE PARTICULAR FORD MODELS AND THREE LINCOLN MODELS SPANNING THE YEARS 2011-2017. BECAUSE THIS WAS NOW A PROBLEM I WAS DEALING WITH ON A DAILY BASIS I HAD THEM REPLACE THE SHIFTER AS SUGGESTED AT 68,033 MILES. WHAT IS UPSETTING IS THAT THIS IS NOT BEING COVERED UNDER ANY TYPE OF RECALL. THIS IS NOT A PART THAT SHOULD FAIL AT 62,000 MILES WHEN I FIRST REPORTED THE ISSUE, AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD COVER AS MANY MODELS AS IT DOES FOR A SIX YEAR PERIOD OF TIME. HOW COULD VEHICLES START TO HAVE THESE ISSUES IN 2011, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STILL CONTINUE TO USE THESE RELAYS OR SHIFTERS FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX YEARS? IF THEY ARE NEGLIGENT IN NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM, WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER BE ON THE HOOK FOR FORD USING DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS?