Ford recalls about 1.4 million pickup trucks over gearshift issue
April 17, 2026
The recall follows a NHTSA probe into reports of unexpected downshifts.
Ford Motor Company has announced a recall of approximately 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks in the United States due to a gearshift issue that could cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall also affects about 144,000 trucks in Canada. The affected vehicles include certain F-150 models from the 2014 through 2017 model years equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. The issue stems from a potential loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this communication failure can cause the transmission to abruptly downshift into a lower gear, such as second gear, regardless of the vehicle's speed. Such an event can lead to a sudden reduction in wheel speed, potentially causing the rear tires to slide or lock up, which could result in a loss of vehicle control. Ford has stated that it is aware of one accident and two injuries that may be related to this defect. Drivers of affected trucks might notice a malfunction indicator light on the dashboard before experiencing the issue.
The recall follows an investigation by the NHTSA that began after the agency received numerous consumer complaints. The Office of Defects Investigation first opened a preliminary evaluation in March 2025 after owners reported sudden downshifts, sometimes resulting in skidding. This investigation was upgraded to an engineering analysis in January 2026 before Ford approved the recall on April 7, 2026. The cause has been identified as the degradation of electrical connections within the transmission's lead frame over time due to heat and vibration. As of early April, Ford had identified hundreds of warranty claims and customer service reports potentially linked to the problem.
The F-Series trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the United States for several decades, making this recall particularly significant for the automaker and its extensive customer base. This action is separate from previous recalls for similar downshifting problems that affected earlier model years of the F-150. For the current recall, Ford has instructed dealers to update the powertrain control module software on the affected trucks at no cost to the owners. In some cases where specific diagnostic trouble codes are present, the transmission lead frame may be replaced.
Ford plans to begin notifying vehicle owners by mail starting April 27, 2026. A second notice is expected to be sent out between July 13 and July 17, once the final remedy is fully prepared. Truck owners can also check if their vehicle is included in the recall by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on Ford's official recall website or the NHTSA's site.
Source: detroitnews