There is an old saying that bad things come in threes. While we doubt the accuracy of the proverb, Ford Motor Company might not. The iconic American automaker recently issued a trio of recalls that include its popular F-150 pickup truck.
The flurry of Ford recalls includes 1.5 million F-150 trucks plagued with a transmission defect that can cause the truck to downshift to first gear without warning.
The Michigan-based automaker also issued recalls affecting Lincoln Continental luxury cars manufactured between 2017 and 2019. It is also recalling some of its Ford Mustangs, Lincoln Navigators and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles manufactured this year.
The biggest of the Ford recalls is the F-150 recall. Owners of F-150s made between 2011 and 2013 equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions are being alerted of the recall. Sudden downshifting can cause drivers to lose control of their pickups.
Ford says it knows of five crashes directly related to the transmission issue.
The problem with the recalled Continentals is also one that puts occupants of the vehicles in danger. The door latches on some of the recalled 27,000 Continentals might not engage when the doors are closed, which means the doors can open while the vehicles are in motion.
The good news is that Ford says it has not heard of any injuries or accidents caused by the defect. The company says it will replace the latches on recalled Continentals.
The third recall – involving the 2019 models mentioned above – affects just 4,200 vehicles with defects in the instrument panels. The digital dashboards in the vehicles could remain blank when the vehicles are started.
If you purchased a defective new or used vehicle from a dealer, contact a lawyer devoted to consumer protection to find out about the legal options available to you.