NHTSA Broadens Investigation of Approximately 1.3 Million Ford Pickups Due to Transmission Problems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Monday that it has expanded a safety-related investigation into 1.27 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks. This decision comes in response to reports of unexpected downshifts accompanied by rear-wheel lockup.

The investigation encompasses vehicles from the 2015–2017 model years, as stated by the NHTSA.

This probe follows a preliminary evaluation initiated on March 21 of last year, after the agency received multiple complaints regarding the 2015–2017 Ford F-150 pickups equipped with the ‘6R80’ transmission.

According to the U.S. auto safety regulator, owners have reported that these trucks can abruptly downshift without any warning or driver input. This sudden deceleration has, in some instances, resulted in brief rear-wheel lockup or skidding, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.

In response to NHTSA’s information request, Ford clarified that the alleged defect in the 2015–2017 F-150s is distinct from the issues that led to four safety recalls for the 2011–2014 models.

Ford explained that the earlier recalls were attributed to manufacturing problems with a part supplied by an external vendor, which caused a loss of signals from a speed sensor.

In contrast, the automaker suggested that the issue in the newer vehicles may stem from electrical connections deteriorating over time due to heat and vibration. This degradation could lead to signal loss from a different transmission sensor.

Furthermore, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation reported that preliminary testing has uncovered an additional risk. It indicated that intermittent Transmission Range Sensor (TRS) signal loss could cause a vehicle reversing uphill to unexpectedly shift into neutral, resulting in the vehicle rolling forward.

In light of these findings, the ODI has initiated an engineering analysis to conduct further testing and review additional technical data.

(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Shreya Biswas)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Monday that it has expanded a safety-related investigation into 1.27 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks. This decision comes in response to reports of unexpected downshifts accompanied by rear-wheel lockup.

The investigation encompasses vehicles from the 2015–2017 model years, as stated by the NHTSA.

This probe follows a preliminary evaluation initiated on March 21 of last year, after the agency received multiple complaints regarding the 2015–2017 Ford F-150 pickups equipped with the ‘6R80’ transmission.

According to the U.S. auto safety regulator, owners have reported that these trucks can abruptly downshift without any warning or driver input. This sudden deceleration has, in some instances, resulted in brief rear-wheel lockup or skidding, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.

In response to NHTSA’s information request, Ford clarified that the alleged defect in the 2015–2017 F-150s is distinct from the issues that led to four safety recalls for the 2011–2014 models.

Ford explained that the earlier recalls were attributed to manufacturing problems with a part supplied by an external vendor, which caused a loss of signals from a speed sensor.

In contrast, the automaker suggested that the issue in the newer vehicles may stem from electrical connections deteriorating over time due to heat and vibration. This degradation could lead to signal loss from a different transmission sensor.

Furthermore, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation reported that preliminary testing has uncovered an additional risk. It indicated that intermittent Transmission Range Sensor (TRS) signal loss could cause a vehicle reversing uphill to unexpectedly shift into neutral, resulting in the vehicle rolling forward.

In light of these findings, the ODI has initiated an engineering analysis to conduct further testing and review additional technical data.

(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Shreya Biswas)