Ford is recalling over 550,000 pickup trucks in the US due to an issue where the transmissions can unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of the vehicle's speed.
The recall affects specific F-150 pickups from the 2014 model year. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the best-selling vehicles in the US.
According to documents released Tuesday by US safety regulators, Ford states that this downshifting issue can cause drivers to lose control, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls follow an investigation by US auto safety regulators in March, which examined complaints that over 540,000 Ford pickups from 2014 could abruptly downshift, posing a crash risk.
The issue is attributed to a lost signal between a transmission speed sensor and the powertrain control computer, potentially due to corrosion and problems with connector pins. Dealers will update the powertrain control software free of charge, and owners will be notified by mail in early July.
Ford’s documents, posted Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, indicate 396 warranty and field reports, 124 customer complaints, and 130 government complaints related to the issue. Of these, 52 reported rear wheels locking up or loss of control, with two injuries and one crash possibly linked to the problem.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiated the investigation in March after receiving complaints about sudden downshifts in the trucks’ automatic transmissions. The agency is also determining if these trucks should have been included in earlier recalls for the same problem.
Previously, certain F-150 pickups from the 2011 and 2012 model years were recalled for the same issue in 2016, with 2013 models added later.
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