Recall Prompts Move of Lincoln MKC's Start Button

Imagine Matthew McConaughey serenely cruising down a moonlit road in his brand-new Lincoln MKC when all of the sudden the crossover stalls, upsetting his suave mojo (and interrupting the conversation he appears to be holding with the rearview mirror). Ford issued a recall last week to prevent just this scenario from happening, and the fix requires relocating the MKC’s start button. 

Related: 2015 Lincoln MKC Review

According to Ford, the push-button start module is too close to other controls, and drivers could inadvertently bump the button and shut off the engine while driving. If this happens, the restraint systems may not function, increasing the risk of an injury during a crash.

The recall affects 11,144 versions of model-year 2015 MKCs in the U.S. built between Aug. 20, 2013, and Sept. 9, 2014, at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, and the fix sounds extreme: completely relocate the MKC’s push-button start control panel.

Kelli Felker, Ford’s safety communications manager, told Cars.com that the push-button keyless ignition switch, which was originally located at the bottom of the gear shift module (pictured above), will be moved to the top of that panel. Dealers will perform the move and reprogram the powertrain control module for free. Felker says owners can expect the repair to take “less than one half day, depending upon dealer service scheduling availability.”

Ford said there have been no accidents or injuries related to this issue, but an increase in field reports led to the recall. “While any button can be activated inadvertently, our monitoring of field data showed the original design position had an increasing number of reports,” Felker said.  

Cars.com photo by Joe Bruzek