Ford idles Escape production facility

FORD workers at the company’s Louisville manufacturing facility have been informed that the plant would be idled from February 13 to 19 as the car-maker seeks to rectify a software issue in the recently refreshed Escape medium SUV.

The news comes the same week Ford issued a small recall for a problem relating to its 10-speed automatic transmission in a selected batch of models.

It is the second Ford shutdown in a week week due to quality issues and follows the production and shipment halt issued for Ford F-150 Lightning models following a potential issue with the electric model’s high-voltage battery.

According to Automotive News, plant employees were notified via memo that software issues within the vehicle’s (instrument) cluster were behind the six-day closure, saying the issue does not pose any danger to customers who have purchased a new Ford Escape.

“We are on a day-by-day basis right now and I know that is frustrating,” said Ford Louisville building chairman Brandon Reisinger.

“This issue we have, the cluster, is a software issue. It is not a hardware issue. If it were to get out, it would not be something that would endanger anybody, but it would have the vehicles coming back to the dealership.”

Automotive News said Ford declined to disclose further information about the problem, instead posting a pre-prepared statement from headquarters.

“We are committed to ensuring our vehicles are built with the quality our customers deserve and will take appropriate actions to deliver this commitment,” Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker told the publication via email.

Ford offers its Escape and Escape PHEV range in the Australian market priced from $36,490 to $53,440 plus on-road costs.

The Escape is a direct rival to the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4, but also one of the slowest selling in its segment with just 115 units moved in the month of January.

By contrast, Mazda sold 2189 CX-5s and Toyota delivered 1958 RAV4s over the same period.

Separately, Ford is also recalling and issuing a delivery hold on approximately 1000 of its MY22 and MY23 F-150, Bronco, Explorer, Mustang and Lincoln Aviator models over problems with their 10-speed automatic transmissions.

According to a dealer memo, the transmissions may contain a loose, extra bolt introduced during the assembly process that could prevent Park from being selected, even when the shift indicator confirms the setting.

Ford told Automotive News that the company was “not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue”, which potentially involves some 944 units – around 600 of which are currently unsold.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to post details of the recall shortly.