Ford Motor Co. announced it’s recalling about 1.4 million F-150 full-size pickups due to a problem with certain six- and 10-speed transmissions that may downshift while in motion, possibly even causing the rear wheels to lock up.
The issue affects certain model year 2015-2017 F-150 pickups with a 6R80 transmission. The problem may also occur on 2017 model year trucks with a 10R80 transmission, according to a filing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency has been investigating the problem for more than a year, after several vehicle owners reported problems.
“Consumers reported that their vehicles’ transmission suddenly downshifted to a lower gear, often to 1st or 2ndgear, without driver input or advance warning,” the agency wrote in a filing. Owners reported the problem occurred regularly, and 43 percent of those interviewed reporting the rear wheels locked up at least one time, noting the truck “screeched, or skidded during the transmission downshift.”
Ford told regulators the problem involved “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).”
Agency investigators noted the loss of signal from the transmission range sensor will cause the transmission to shift to neutral, downshift, and even upshift unintentionally. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to resolve the issue. Ford told NHTSA it was aware of two “potentially” related injuries and one accident tied to the problem, according a story published by Reuters.
[Images: Ford]
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