Ford Recalls Nearly 1.4M Vehicles. See Affected Models

Ford has recalled nearly 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks due to a transmission problem that has led to at least one car wreck and two injuries.

The Michigan-based car manufacturer announced the recall on Tuesday, April 14, on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website. The recall includes 1,392,935 F-150 vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2017.

According to Ford, there is an issue with the truck’s transmission, leading to a loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module.

“(This) can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear,” Ford wrote in the announcement, adding that an unexpected downshift into second gear could cause drivers to lose control of the vehicle or crash.

Ford said that by April 2 the company had confirmed two injuries and one wreck potentially related to the transmission issue, as well as 444 warranty claims, 121 field reports, 105 customer service reports and 316 formal complaints filed with the NHTSA in the United States.

How Did Ford Find Out About the Issue?

On Oct. 30, 2024, the NHTSA contacted Ford regarding complaints, also known as vehicle owner questionnaires (VOQs). The agency said the complaints may be related to the unintended downshift issues on 2015, 2016 and 2017 F-150 vehicles. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group began investigating the following day.

Between late fall 2024 and early 2025, Ford’s review group, CCRG, reviewed prior investigations and found that the affected vehicles contained electrical connections that degraded due to thermal cycling and vibration.

“High mileage vehicle transmissions can experience a wide range of issues with different failure modes and performance consequences due to wear and aging of subcomponents,” Ford wrote.

Ford’s review group assessed the issue and customer experiences.

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What’s Ford Doing About the Issue?

Dealers will update the powertrain control module software for free, Ford said.

Ford began notifying dealers about the issue on April 15. The company will mail letters to owners notifying them of the safety risk by April 27.

Once Ford finds a final fix, which the company said will likely be between July 13 and July 17, it will send another letter to update drivers.

Owners who have questions can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

The NHTSA ID number for the recall is 26V237000. Ford’s ID number is 26S28.