Ford Recalls 550,000 Vehicles for Rollaway Danger
Ford is recalling almost 550,000 vehicles in North America because the automatic transmission might not be in “park” although the shift indicator says it is, posing a rollaway risk. According to a report on Forbes.com, federal regulators never investigated this issues in spite of receiving at least 30 complaints from owners of these recalled 2013-2016 Fusion and 2013-2014 Escape models. Three of those vehicle owners said they were injured.
No Investigation Despite Injuries
One woman said the incident occurred in 2014 when her vehicle appears to be in “park.” But when she got out, it began to move and the door “flipped her half-way around.” She hit the ground and her car ran over her foot. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened some vehicle defect investigations with as few as a handful of complaints and no injuries. However, it is not clear why they did not look into this particular issues despite reports of injuries.
Last month, Consumer Reports issued a report that NHTSA “conducted fewer defect investigations in 2017 than at any time in history.” Safety advocates say this is a “dramatic shift,” which could mean that consumers are less likely to learn about dangerous vehicle defects. Last year, NHTSA launched 13 investigations. The highest number of investigations was reported in 1989 at 204. Ford officials said they learned about this problem through routine processes including field data. A majority of the recalled vehicles – about 504,000 – were sold in the United States. The remaining vehicles were sold in Canada and Mexico.
If You Have Been Injured
Rollaway defects can cause devastating injuries or even death. There are a number of individuals who have been run over or struck as a result of rollaway vehicles. It is disappointing that NHTSA failed to investigate these Ford rollaway defects in spite of more than 30 complaints and at least three injuries. You can check if your vehicle is involved in this recall by entering the vehicle identification number on NHTSA’s website.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of these vehicle defects, you may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, permanent injuries, disabilities and pain and suffering. An experienced auto defect lawyer will be able to help you secure maximum compensation for your losses and hold the negligent automakers accountable.