Ford has announced a safety recall for approximately 144,000 F-150 trucks in Canada as a result of a gearshift issue that could affect driver control. The problem affects certain vehicles with six-speed automatic transmissions manufactured between 2015 and 2017. In the U.S., 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, causing a signal malfunction from a transmission sensor. According to Ford, this malfunction could lead to an unexpected downshift to a lower gear while the vehicle is in motion, potentially resulting in a temporary reduction in wheel speed and causing rear tires to slide until the vehicle slows down.
Ford has reported two injuries and one accident that may be linked to this issue. The company mentioned that dealers can rectify the problem by updating the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software in affected vehicles. 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.
To check if their F-150 is impacted, drivers can input their Vehicle Identification Number on Ford’s recall webpage.
