Ford has announced a safety recall for around 144,000 F-150 trucks in Canada, citing an issue with the gearshift that could affect driver control. The problem affects certain vehicles with six-speed automatic transmissions produced from 2015 to 2017. In the United States, nearly 1.4 million vehicles are impacted, including some from the 2014 model year.
The issue stems from degraded electrical connections within the internal transmission lead frame, which can result in a signal malfunction from a transmission sensor. This malfunction may cause an unexpected downshift to a lower gear while the vehicle is in motion, posing a safety risk. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned that this issue could lead to a temporary reduction in wheel speed, potentially causing the rear tires to skid until the vehicle slows down.
Ford has acknowledged two injuries and one accident that could be linked to this problem. To address the issue, dealers can update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software on affected vehicles, resolving the issue. Alternatively, if a vehicle had previously shown specific diagnostic trouble codes related to the sensor, Ford will replace the transmission lead frame at no cost.
F-150 owners can check if their vehicle is affected by entering their Vehicle Identification Number on Ford’s recall webpage.
