Ford Recalls 1.4 Million F-150 Trucks Over Transmission Downshift Risk

Ford Motor Co. has announced a recall of approximately 1.4 million F-150 full-size pickups due to a transmission issue that may cause unintended downshifts while driving, potentially locking the rear wheels.

The problem affects certain model year 2015-2017 F-150 trucks equipped with a 6R80 transmission. Additionally, 2017 models with a 10R80 transmission are also impacted, according to a filing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA Investigation and Owner Reports

The NHTSA has been investigating the issue for over a year after receiving multiple complaints from vehicle owners. In its filing, the agency stated:

“Consumers reported that their vehicles’ transmission suddenly downshifted to a lower gear, often to 1st or 2nd gear, without driver input or advance warning.”

Owners reported frequent occurrences of the problem, with 43% of those interviewed stating that the rear wheels locked up at least once. Drivers described incidents where the truck “screeched or skidded” during the unintended downshift.

Root Cause and Safety Concerns

Ford informed regulators that the issue involves “degradation of electrical connections within the lead frame due to thermal cycling and vibration over extended time in service, resulting in signal loss from the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS).”

Investigators noted that the loss of signal from the TRS can cause the transmission to shift to neutral, downshift, or even upshift unintentionally. To address the problem, dealers will update the powertrain control module software.

Ford reported to the NHTSA that there have been two potentially related injuries and one accident linked to the transmission issue, according to a Reuters report.