Ford F-150 Recall Over Loss of Control Risk Affects 1.3M Vehicles

Hundreds of claims and complaints are potentially linked to the defect, including at least two injuries and one crash.

Federal regulators have announced a recall impacting more than 1.3 million Ford pickup trucks, due to a transmission defect that may cause the vehicles to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the Ford F-150 recall on April 14, indicating the issue involves a part of the transmission system that may stop sending the right signal to the truck’s computer. Over time, heat and vibration can wear down those connections, increasing the chance of a problem.

If that happens, the truck may unexpectedly drop into a lower gear, which can cause it to slow down abruptly. In some cases, the rear tires may briefly slide before the vehicle regains traction. Drivers may also see a warning light or wrench light on the dashboard before the problem occurs.

Officials warn that this sudden loss of speed could make the truck harder to control and increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Ford F-150 Transmission Signal Defect

According to the recall notice, the current issue impacts 1,392,935 Ford F-150 vehicles from model years 2015 through 2017.

Ford says it is aware of at least 444 warranty claims, 121 field reports, 105 customer service reports and 316 vehicle owner questionnaires potentially related to the issue. The automaker has also said it is aware of two injuries and one crash that may be linked to the defect.

The NHTSA recall report indicates regulators began looking into the issue after receiving vehicle owner complaints in late 2024, and later elevated the investigation to an engineering analysis in January of this year.

To address the problem, Ford is instructing dealers to update the powertrain control module software at no cost. The automaker also says that if an affected truck previously showed certain diagnostic trouble codes tied to the condition before the software update, dealers will replace the lead frame under a corresponding extended warranty program.

Dealer notification was expected to begin on April 15. Interim owner letters are scheduled to be mailed starting April 27, and final letters are expected to go out in July 2026.

Ford has identified the recall as 26S28, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists it as campaign number 26V237. Owners can find out whether their truck is included by entering their VIN in the recall lookup tool on the NHTSA website or by contacting Ford customer service directly.

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