By Rob Sabo
Ford Motor Company has announced the recall of 272,645 vehicles over concerns that the automobiles could roll away after being shifted into park, while BMW of North America announced the recall of 36,922 cars in the United States because the steering wheels could accidentally move while the vehicle is stationary.
The Ford and BMW announcements were posted on Dec. 19 to the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration’s (NHTSA) X account.
Ford said the recall could potentially affect 80,468 Maverick hybrid electric trucks, 104,113 F-150 Lightning battery electric trucks, and 88,064 Mach-E Mustangs. The vehicles were manufactured between Oct. 14, 2021, and Nov. 17, 2025, at Ford’s Hermosillo and Cuautitlán Assembly plants in Mexico.
According to the NHTSA, the vehicles’ transmission may not lock after being shifted into park due to a malfunction with their integrated park module. The module may bind and create friction that prevents the transmission from fully engaging in park. Drivers won’t see the illuminated “P” parking symbol, and a warning light will trigger on the vehicles’ instrument panel.
“This condition may result in a roll in park condition if the vehicle’s Electronic Park Brake (EPB) is not applied,” the NHTSA noted.
“The EPB will apply automatically on all ‘Park’ selections; however, an EPB fault could prevent the EPB from applying. A roll in park condition increases the risk of crash.”
Ford said it would release an over-the-air software update that will resolve the issue. It plans on notifying affected owners beginning in early February. Vehicle identification numbers (VIN) will be searchable on the NHTSA’s website beginning on Jan. 26. Ford owners also can contact the company’s customer service department at 866-436-7332 and reference recall number 25C69.
BMW, meanwhile, announced it was recalling nearly 37,000 X3 vehicles, model years 2025 and 2026, that were manufactured between Aug. 14, 2024, and Oct. 20, 2025, over a potential steering system software malfunction that may cause unintended movement in the vehicles’ steering wheel.
Field tests identified the issue in vehicles that weren’t moving, but BMW is recalling the vehicles due to the potential for unintended steering wheel movements while driving that could lead to a crash. The issue was first identified at a BMW assembly plant in August, and additional field testing confirmed the issue in an additional vehicle in September.
“Between August 22nd and December 4th, BMW became aware of approximately 21 cases that may be related to this issue and which were considered during the engineering review process,” the NHTSA said.
The software was supplied by Robert Bosch LLC of Farmington Hills, Michigan, the NHTSA added. In order to rectify the problem, BMW plans on releasing an over-the-air software update for the steering system software. Affected owners will be notified of the recall notice beginning on Feb. 2, 2026, and they can search for their vehicle’s VIN on the NHTSA website beginning that same day.
Alternatively, BMW owners can contact the company’s customer service line at 800-525-7417.
