NHTSA Complaint #11696160 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

My 2013 Ford Escape had safety recall 22S43 (NHTSA 22V413000) completed by a Ford dealer in January 2023. That recall was supposed to fix a defect in which the shift cable bushing can detach from the transmission, potentially allowing the transmission to remain in gear even when the shifter shows “Park.” After the recall repair, the same issue has occurred again — the bushing has disconnected from the transmission lever, creating the same roll-away risk that the recall was intended to correct. When this happens, the gear selector shows “Park,” but the vehicle can still move. Ford Motor Company Customer Service told me that because more than 12 months or 12,000 miles have passed since the recall repair, they will not cover it again. However, this is the same safety defect reoccurring after the recall remedy. It appears that the recall repair did not permanently correct the problem, and the part may still be defective or the cable end may have worn prematurely. I am submitting this report because the defect has returned after the recall was supposedly completed, and I believe other owners may also experience repeat failures that pose a roll-away safety risk.