Yesterday I shut the truck off while still in drive for some reason and as my hand went to the shifter to put it into Park was startled to see it start moving on its on into Park. I hate to think of what that feature cost. Is it some governmental requirement or just Ford being a nanny?

 

Assume it is safety features, like many others on new vehicles today, BLIS, lane assist, etc.
From page 256 of owners manual.

AUTOMATIC RETURN TO PARK (P)What Is Automatic Return to Park (P)

Your vehicle shifts into park (P) if you attempt to exit your vehicle without the transmission in park (P).

How Does Automatic Return to Park (P) Work

Your vehicle shifts into park (P) when your vehicle is stationary and any of the following occur:

• You switch the vehicle off.
  
• You open the driver door with your seatbelt unlatched.
  
• You unlatch the driver seatbelt when the driver door is open.
  
  Note: Do not use automatic return to park (P) when your vehicle is moving, except in an emergency. See Starting and Stopping the Engine (page 209).
  
  Automatic Return to Park (P) Limitations
  
  Automatic return to park may not work if the door ajar switch is malfunctioning.
  
  See an authorized dealer if any of the following occur:
  
  • Door ajar indicator does not illuminate with the driver door open.
    
  • Door ajar indicator illuminates with the driver door closed.
    
  • Transmission not in park message appears with the driver door closed, after you shift out of park (P).
    

 

Lots of noise a couple of years ago about vehicles with dial shifters rolling away because people would forget to put them in park. This is a safety feature to prevent this.

 

Started with the Charger "joystick" shifter roll-aways that hurt and killed some people. I absolutely HATE the shifter in the wife's 2014 Charger. Would much prefer the round **** if it has to be electronic; you can at least know where you are stopping the rotation. The joystick is totally random where it will land when you try to shift to "D"; you have to verify every single time if it made it to "D". There have been 2 "safety" updates to the shifter. You cannot open the driver's door with the car running and have it remain in drive; it immediately shifts to park.

 

It's not just Ford. My wife's last two Jeeps did the same thing. Her 2018 Wrangler did it if you didn't have the doors off and her 2021 Compass does it to.

 

Thanks, I just got a paper manual, would never have noticed that in the PDF or the onboard one. I hope to get a chance to study it this weekend. There is a lot of stuff on this truck that is well beyond what my 20212 did.

 

If the engine is already auto-stopped, pushing the off button (instead of putting in park first) keeps the engine from restarting then shutting off again.

 

I've seen enough dashcam videos of idiots jumping out their vehicles and have them roll away because they're raging - same with people parking up and just exiting without a care in the world - when everything else is automatic, people stop thinking about their driving, and frankly, putting it in park or securing the parking brake is just not on their minds.

Makes for hilariously stupid video footage though.

 

Saw a lady try to get out of her car while it was still in drive at a 7-Eleven and she ran over her own leg. She was worried about missing her flight instead of her broken leg...

 

With my old truck I got used to opening the driver's door and looking back as I am backing my boat in the water at the ramp. With this new truck there's no way you can do that because when you crack that door open it goes in the park.