Ford recalls half a million F-150s due to serious…

Ford has announced a new recall for the F-150 that affects 552,188 trucks manufactured for the 2014 model year. A sensor problem can cause the truck to suddenly engage first gear, regardless of speed. Sudden downshifting is never good, but at higher speeds it can lead to loss of control.

According to a recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the truck’s powertrain control module (PCM) may lose signal to the transmission output shaft speed sensor. If this happens, the transmission may suddenly downshift to first gear. The recall documents don’t identify the specific signal loss problem, but the solution is simple. Ford will update the PCM with new software, which requires a trip to the dealer since 2014 is long before the era of over-the-air updates.

If you’re experiencing deja vu right now, don’t worry. Ford recalled the product for the same issue back in 2019, although it affected 2013 F-150s as well as some Lincoln Expeditions and Navigators. The recall included 107,857 vehicles, all equipped with the same 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission. The latest recall only covers the F-150.

Ford has been monitoring the issue for some time. The chronological report says the company began investigating in February 2024, eventually contacting the NHTSA, which provided 86 owner questionnaires with issues possibly related to the problem. However, subsequent investigations uncovered 300 warranty reports, 96 field reports, and 124 customer complaints about unexpected downshifts. In all, 40 of those allegedly caused the rear wheels to lock up or cause loss of control. Ford is aware of two owner questionnaires alleging injuries and one that caused a crash.

Owner notification of the recall will begin on July 1, and the software update will be available in the third quarter of 2024. Ford says a dashboard warning light may illuminate before downshifting and that the number of affected vehicles is expected to increase represent less than one percent of recalled trucks. Concerned owners can contact Ford at 866-436-7332 and quote reference number 24S37.