Search the Community

Regarding FORD Safety Recall 18S20 – Shift Cable Bushing Replacement affecting 2013-2014 Ford Escape, & 2013-2016 Ford Fusion, this failure mode also appears on certain models of the Ford Transit Connect. In my case, I have a 2015 XLT that experienced this failure. The original factory-original bushing is white. The replacement bushing outlined in the recall below is orange. This is a standard Ford part used on "small" chassis Ford vehicles and is common amongst vehicles using this type of transmission shift linkage. The Ford part number for the REPLACEMENT bushing is: DG9Z-7K340-A and can be found at most ANY ford dealership. I paid $5.10USD for it, and ended-up buying two just to have the 2nd one around in case this is actually a recurring problem (or in case I dropped the first one down in the engine bay accidentally during installation!). BACKGROUND: Please note that when I searched for a recall SPECIFICALLY covering this particular failure mode on the Ford Transit Connect I could not find any references to one anywhere. However, a very smart parts guy at my local Ford dealership in Lake Orion, Michigan knew of the problem on the Focus and Escape and had a small box right on his counter full of these replacement bushings. This told me that it's a failure common problem (despite not being specifically referenced to the Transit connect). I suspect that the original plastic bushing was molded from a material not capable of withstanding the constant pressures of the daily shifting cycle. As such, it would seem that if Ford went to all the trouble if initiating a recall action on a number of vehicles with this problem, they wouldn't simply have released the exact same "replacement" bushing, but would have molded it from a more durable material in order to prevent a recurrence. This has been my experience with OEM safety recalls as an auto industry engineer since the OEM is legally responsible for demonstrating to NHTSA that their planned repair solution resolves the safety concern prior to deploying that solution into the field. As such, it is unlikely that NHTSA would have approved an OEM-proposed solution that utilized a bushing the same as the one that originally failed from the factory (common sense?). Incidentally, when replacement parts are produced in a different color, that is usually an indication that they are a different material so that technicians don't erroneously install the wrong replacement part when effecting the repair. Visual cues are important in repair circumstances and used broadly in the auto industry so that quick visual reference can be made when assessing the completion of a safety repair. Here is a link to some of the detail of the recall. REPLACEMENT/INSTALLATION: I knew as soon as I saw the replacement bushing that it was an exact replacement, and as you can see from the photos below it is. To complete the repair, I first snapped the replacement bushing onto the transmission shift lever, then pressed the shift cable onto it. As luck would have it, that was the opposite of the replacement instructions I later found online for the Focus and Escape. regardless, it snapped right in and securely retained the shift cable once installed. The repair took me about 5 minutes and was a bit of a tight squeeze when attempting to get my hands past other 'obstacles' in that area of the engine bay. it was a little challenging holding onto and orienting the replacement bushing when attempting to push my hands past the intake snorkel and fuse box! But, again, it only took 5 minutes total to complete the repair. I hope you find this information helpful. Ken Here are a few photos of the actual linkage and bushing: