Ford F-150 Investigation Initiated Into 1.3M Vehicles, Following Reports of Unexpected Downshifting, Rear Wheels Locking Up: NHTSA

Manufacturer has received more than 130 complaints of Ford-F150 pickup trucks downshifting suddenly, which can result in an accident

Federal highway safety officials have launched an investigation into nearly 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks, indicating that the vehicles may experience problems where they suddenly downshift while on motion, or the rear wheels temporarily lock up, which may increase the risk that drivers lose control and get in an auto accident.

The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Ford F-150 investigation on March 21, after receiving customer complaints alleging spontaneous downshifting while traveling at highway speeds without any prior warning or driver input.

According to the investigative report, the unexpected downshifting can cause the vehicle to decelerate rapidly, temporarily locking up the rear wheels, which could result in a loss of control of the vehicle.

The investigation will look at approximately 1,270,970 Ford F-150 pickup trucks from model year 2015 through 2017. 

The investigation report (PDF) does not indicate any fires or accidents related to the issue. However, the automaker has received 138 customer complaints, leading to the NHTSA opening a preliminary evaluation to determine whether an investigation and engineering analysis is needed before mandating a recall.

Ford Transmission Issues

This is not the first time Ford has conducted an investigation or recall regarding unexpected downshifting and transmission issues.

The manufacturer recalled 1.4 million F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles in 2018 and an additional 1.5 million F-150 trucks in 2019, following customer complaints about transmissions suddenly downshifting while the vehicles were moving, resulting in two accidents in 2018 and five more the following year.

Ford has also faced issues with vehicle transmissions failing to shift into “Park.” In 2018, the company issued a recall for nearly 350,000 F-150s and SUVs after the issue led to at least one accident and injury due to a vehicle roll-away.

In 2020, Ford recalled Mustang and Expedition vehicles due to a failure to warn drivers when the vehicle was not fully shifted into the “Park” position, increasing the risk of rollaways.

The company faced a class action lawsuit from owners of certain Ford F-150, Expedition, Mustang, Ranger and Lincoln Navigator vehicles in 2023, after customers alleged that the vehicles’ 10R80 transmissions were defective, due to their failure to shift up or down, causing a loss of power while accelerating onto highways or busy intersections.

Plaintiffs in the complaint called for compensatory and punitive damages after Ford refused to replace the transmission and claimed the harsh shifting was “normal.”