More than 550,000 Ford pickup vehicles are being recalled in the United States because, regardless of how quickly the trucks are moving, the gearboxes may suddenly downshift to first gear.
A few F-150 pickups from the 2014 model year are included in the recall. The best-selling cars in the United States are trucks from Ford’s F-Series.
According to Ford, in papers released by US safety authorities on Tuesday, downshifting can lead to drivers losing control of their vehicles, which raises the possibility of an accident.
The recalls follow US auto safety regulators’ investigation into concerns in March regarding the ability of over 540,000 Ford pickup trucks model year 2014 to suddenly change into a lower gear, so raising the possibility of an accident.
According to documents, a lost communication between the powertrain control computer and a transmission speed sensor is the root of the issue. Additionally, there can be issues with connecting pins and rust.
Owners will get letters in early July informing them that dealers will be updating the powertrain control software at no cost to them.
Ford stated in a statement on Tuesday that it anticipates having the fixes ready by the third quarter of this year. At participating dealers, owners will have the option of using mobile service or pickup and delivery.
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In papers made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday, Ford said that it has 482 trucks covered by 396 warranties and field reports, 124 customer complaints, and other information on the issue.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based carmaker reports that it is aware of 130 government complaints, 52 of which claim that drivers lost control of their vehicles or that the back wheels locked up. According to Ford, two of the complainants claimed injuries, and one reported a collision that could have been brought on by the issue.
According to Ford’s statement, drivers might observe a malfunction alert light on the dashboard prior to the vehicles downshifting. In certain instances, trucks may be able to resume regular driving until their signals are restored. In some situations, drivers might need to stop and resume the engine in order for the gearboxes to function correctly.
According to the manufacturer, less than 1% of the recalled cars should have the issue.
The NHTSA stated that it began its investigation in March in response to reports of abrupt downshifts in the automatic gearboxes of the vehicles.
The government is investigating if those trucks ought to have been covered by earlier recalls due to the issue.
Ford began recalling trucks and other vehicles in 2016 for the model years 2011 and 2012; two further recalls involving pickup trucks from 2011 to 2013 were added in 2019. Roughly 1.5 million automobiles were included in the recalls.
The business stated that it is assisting the NHTSA with the inquiry.