Ford has announced a safety recall for approximately 144,000 F-150 trucks in Canada due to an issue with the gearshift that could affect driver control. The problem affects vehicles with six-speed automatic transmissions produced between 2015 and 2017. In the United States, 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, leading to 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 causing a temporary reduction in wheel speed, which may lead to rear tire sliding until the vehicle slows down.
According to Ford, two injuries and one accident that may be linked to this issue have been reported. The company is offering a solution by updating the vehicles’ Powertrain Control Module software to address the problem. Alternatively, for vehicles showing 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.