The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·14V237000·Announced 2014-05-07

Ford Recalls 2013-2014 Escape and C-MAX for Air Bag Software Error

Ford is recalling 2013-2014 Escape and C-MAX vehicles because a software error may delay side-curtain air bag deployment, increasing injury risk in rollovers.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (air bag) where a defect increases the risk of injury in a crash, but no injuries or fatalities have been reported, fitting the 'High' criteria for risk-of-harm products without reported injury.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape and C-MAX vehicles. The recall involves approximately 594,785 vehicles where the restraint control module (RCM) may contain errors in the programming software. This defect can result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.

If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying during certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased. No specific injuries or fatalities are reported in the source text, but the potential for harm exists due to the delayed safety feature activation.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.

The recalled product

Product
FORD C-MAX, ESCAPE
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Restraint System
Hazard
Affected units
594,785

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • C-MAX
  • ESCAPE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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