Autonomous Vehicle System Oops! New 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Recall for Hands On/Off Detection Warnings

AutoInformed.com on Lincoln Nautilus 2019 Model

The oft repeated proposition that autonomous vehicles will be safer is just a theory with little data supporting the widely promoted belief at this point.

Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety recall for 2019 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles equipped with lane-centering assist and adaptive front steering because these vehicles may not detect if a driver has his or her hands off the steering wheel. Lincoln promotes these as advanced safety features. Ford claims it is not aware of any accidents or injuries resulting from this safety defect.

If this safety defect occurs, the hands on/off detection system may not alert the driver to place his or her hands back on the steering wheel, which could increase the risk of a crash. Such systems are building blocks for autonomous vehicles. Dealers will update the power steering control module software in affected vehicles. The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S02.

This recall affects approximately 2,700 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles in North America, including 2,276 in the United States and federalized territories and 371 in Canada. Affected 2019 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles were built at Oakville Assembly Plant, Sept. 5, 2018 to Nov. 19, 2018.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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