A vehicle left in Park is supposed to stay put, yet shifters, parking pawls, axle bolts and even door-lock switches have all failed at that simple job. Regulators and automakers have responded with large campaigns across several brands and many years. Here are twelve mainstream models that carried this particular risk.
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1. Kia Telluride: Shaft Not Engaged
Kia recalled more than 427,000 Tellurides from the 2020 through 2023 model years, plus some 2024 models, because the intermediate shaft may not be fully engaged. The SUV could then move while in Park.
A large three-row SUV that creeps or rolls on its own can injure people nearby, especially on a slope or in a driveway. Owners of affected Tellurides should have the repair completed, and should use the parking brake as a habit in the meantime.
2. Ford Explorer: Fractured Axle Bolt
More than a quarter-million 2020 to 2022 Explorers were recalled because a rear axle bolt can fracture and allow the SUV to roll away in Park. Ford had received 235 warranty claims.
Warranty claims show that the defect was not purely theoretical. A rollaway risk from a broken mechanical part is hard for a driver to detect in advance, which is why the recall covered such a large population of one of the most common family SUVs.
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee: Confusing Shifter
About 811,586 vehicles in America were recalled over a confusing electronic shifter, including the 2014 and 2015 Grand Cherokee. The action was linked to 212 accidents and 41 injuries.
The lever returned to the same center position after every move, so drivers could think they had selected Park when they had not. The accident and injury totals show that the design’s confusion had real consequences for ordinary owners, and not only for drivers who were rushing.
4. Dodge Charger: Unintuitive Design
The 2012 to 2014 Charger was part of the same recall of about 1.1 million vehicles, and NHTSA described the shifter as unintuitive. The sedan shared its shifter hardware with several related models.
Because the gear selector gave little feedback, a driver stepping out could easily leave the car in Drive or Neutral. The recall’s scale meant the issue reached a very wide group of owners across several nameplates and model years.
5. Chrysler 300: Monostable Mix-Up
The 2012 to 2014 Chrysler 300 used the same monostable shifter, and it was part of a recall of about 1.1 million vehicles worldwide. It sits beside the Charger as a platform sibling.
A monostable lever springs back to center after each movement, so the position of the lever does not show the selected gear. That design choice sparked complaints, and it explains why regulators treated the shifter as a safety problem and not merely a matter of taste.
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Corroded Door Switch
The recall covers 310,667 Mercedes models from 2019 through 2026, including the C-Class, CLA and GLC, because a corroded door-lock switch can lead to a rollaway. The cause is unusual compared with the usual gearbox faults.
A door switch is not the first place anyone would look for a rollaway hazard, which shows how interlocked modern vehicle electronics have become. Owners should check eligibility by VIN, since the population spans several model lines and years.
7. BMW 5 Series: Parking Mechanism Gap
About 28,000 BMWs, including the 2021 to 2023 540i and M550i, were recalled because the parking mechanism had no effective connection to the wheels and could not hold the car. It was a failure of the basic lock function.
A vehicle that cannot be held stationary in Park puts both occupants and bystanders at risk. The recall shows that even premium sedans with sophisticated drivetrains can suffer from a basic mechanical shortcoming that is easy to overlook.
8. Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2022): Voltage and the Pawl
Hyundai recalled 10,729 Ioniq 5 vehicles in May 2022 because a voltage fluctuation could disengage the parking pawl and let the car roll away. The problem was electrical rather than mechanical.
Electric vehicles rely on a pawl in the transmission to lock the wheels, and its control depends on stable power. The recall was an early sign that new electric models could face unfamiliar failures, even when the underlying idea is simple.
9. Kia EV6: Sibling Rollaway Risk
Kia recalled 9,014 EV6 models alongside the Ioniq 5 for the same rollaway risk tied to the parking pawl. The two cars share a platform, so a shared fault was not surprising.
Common components across brands lead to common recalls, and the EV6 shows how one defect can ripple through a corporate family. Owners of either model should confirm that the repair has been performed, because the problem does not announce itself in everyday driving.
10. Ford Fusion: Shifter Fault in Sedans
The 2013 to 2016 Fusion was recalled over a shifter fault that could leave the car out of Park. The recall was issued for the sedan and for a related crossover model.
A shifter that does not reliably engage Park is a basic safety defect, since drivers assume the car is secure when they exit. Used-car shoppers should verify that the work was done before buying an older Fusion, since a previous owner may never have responded to the notice.
11. Ford Escape (2013-2014): Escape Joins the Action
The 2013 and 2014 Escape was included with the Fusion in the same shifter-fault recall action. It brought a popular compact crossover into the campaign alongside the sedan.
Sharing hardware across body styles is efficient for an automaker, but it also spreads a defect across models. Anyone considering a used Escape from those years should check the VIN for open recalls, which can be done quickly online at no cost.
12. Mercedes-Benz CLA: Same Switch, Another Model
The CLA is covered by the same 310,667-vehicle recall, campaign 26V481 from July 2026, over the door-lock switch problem. It is the compact, entry-level member of the affected group.
Because the repair addresses a corroded component, owners in damp or salty climates may have more reason for concern, and the C-Class is also on this list. The campaign number lets anyone verify coverage, and a dealer can fix the issue without charge once the owner schedules the visit.
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