Lincoln MKC Recall Issued Due to Risk Vehicle May Be Shut Off While Moving

Ford has announced a recall of about 13,500 Lincoln MKC sport utility vehicles (SUV), due to a risk that drivers may mistakenly turn the electronic ignition off while the vehicle is moving, posing a potential risk for accidents. 

The Lincoln MKC recall was announced on January 6, following reports of incidents where consumers accidentally touched the push-start ignition button on the vehicle while driving, causing the ignition to cut off and bringing the SUV to a sudden halt.

Certain 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles have been determined to contain a safety risk due to the placement of the push-start ignition button. Reports indicate that drivers and passenger may inadvertently push the ignition button when attempting to hit the “S” button, which sends the vehicles into Sport-Mode, or when changing a setting on the touchscreen display that controls the radio, Bluetooth phone control and navigation.

According to CNN, at least one Lincoln MKC owner wrote a letter to federal safety regulators that indicated a passenger reaching for the radio accidentally pushed the on-off ignition button, causing the vehicle to come to a sudden halt that was described as similar to slamming on the brakes.

Ford concluded from its investigation that when the vehicle is accidentally shut-off, the airbags will be rendered inoperable, creating an even further safety hazard that may increase the risk of severe injury in the event the vehicle crashes.

The recall includes roughly 13,500 Lincoln MKC vehicles from the 2015 model year, which were manufactured up until September 2014. According to Ford, over 11,000 of the recalled models have been sold within the U.S. and the remaining areas of sale were not available.

Ford plans to notify owners and dealers by mail with instructions on how to schedule a free repair at a local certified dealer that will move the location of the start-stop ignition button and reprogram the powertrain controls to fix the problem. The official mailing date to notify customers has not been released yet by Ford.

Ford also announced a second recall of 12,200 2014 Ford Escape and 2015 MKC models that could cause the vehicle to stall while driving due to issues with the fuel pump. Ford claimed there could be a flaw with the fuel pump that could cause the vehicles to either not start or stall while driving.

The company will notify affected registered owners, who will be able to take the vehicles to a dealer for free repairs.