Ford has announced a safety recall for around 144,000 F-150 trucks in Canada due to a gearshift issue that could affect driver control. The problem affects certain models with six-speed automatic transmissions produced 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 in the internal transmission lead frame, causing a signal problem from a transmission sensor. This could result in an unexpected downshift to a lower gear while the vehicle is in motion, potentially leading to a brief reduction in wheel speed and causing the rear tires to slide until the vehicle slows down.
Ford has reported two injuries and one accident that may be linked to this issue. To address the problem, dealers can update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software on 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.
F-150 owners can check if their vehicle is affected by entering their Vehicle Identification Number on Ford’s recall webpage.
