Some Ford Vehicles Could Suddenly Roll on Their Own: Recall Covers 272,000 Cars

Ford is rolling out a major recall involving over 272,000 hybrid and electric vehicles after discovering a software issue that could cause some cars to move unexpectedly on their own.

The recall covers the 2022–2026 F-150 Lightning, the 2024–2026 Mustang Mach-E, and the 2025–2026 Maverick. According to the company, a software glitch may prevent these vehicles from properly staying in Park, creating the risk that they could begin to roll without driver input.

Ford says the issue is linked to a malfunction in the vehicle’s electronic parking module, which may fail to fully engage the Park position after the driver selects it.

The actual risk appears to be relatively low. Ford estimates the defect will affect about 1% of the 272,000 recalled vehicles. The automaker also says it has no reports of accidents or injuries caused by the issue so far. However, as of about six weeks ago, the company had already logged 22 service complaints related to this problem.

To address the issue, Ford plans to release an over-the-air software update, meaning many owners won’t need to bring their vehicles into a dealership for repairs.