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Ford Taurus key can be removed outside of Park

NHTSA campaign 18V141000 · Reported Mar 1, 2018 · Ford Motor Company

high How serious is it? About this label

If the key is removed while the vehicle is not in Park and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, which increases the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	18V141000
Reported to NHTSA	Mar 1, 2018
Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Part affected	Electrical System:ignition
Vehicles covered	1 model/year combination, model years 2018
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

Ford is recalling certain Taurus sedans that use a mechanical key ignition. On these cars, the key may come out of the ignition even when the transmission is not in Park. Federal theft-protection rules require the key to stay in place unless the vehicle is in Park, so these cars do not meet the standard. Dealers will replace the shifter assembly free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2018.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is included.
2. Contact a Ford dealer, or Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, to have the shifter assembly replaced.
3. The replacement is free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 18V141000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Ford Taurus

Who to contact

Ford — official Ford recall lookup

Customer service: 1-866-436-7332

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Ford Electrical Recalls Involving Battery Failures and Fire Risks · all 41 Ford recalls in this area

Other Ford Taurus recalls

Oct 13, 2025Ford and Lincoln rearview cameras may show blank imagemedium
Sep 12, 2025Ford Taurus Door Trim May Detach While Drivingmedium
Feb 10, 2020Ford Flex, Taurus, Lincoln MKT: Rear Toe Link May Fracturehigh

Official notice

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford Taurus vehicles equipped with mechanical key ignition systems. The keys for these vehicles may be able to be removed from the ignition when transmission is not in the PARK position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Safety risk: If the key is removed from the ignition while the vehicle is not in the PARK position and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter assembly, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C02.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.