The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating almost 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks following numerous consumer complaints about unexpected downshifting.
The preliminary evaluation, announced this week, stems from 138 reports from drivers of 2015-2017 model year trucks. These drivers claim their vehicles abruptly shifted into first gear, regardless of their current speed, potentially causing dangerous situations.
A Ford spokesperson confirmed the company’s cooperation with the NHTSA’s investigation in a statement to Reuters on Monday. Newsweek has also contacted Ford for additional comment.
Ford’s F-Series trucks are the top-selling trucks in the U.S., with Statista reporting approximately 732,139 units sold in 2024. This marks the 48th consecutive year the F-Series has held the top spot, far exceeding the Chevrolet Silverado’s 542,517 units.
The recent complaints center on allegations that the F-150s experience sudden deceleration due to unexpected downshifts. Drivers report that their vehicles shift into lower gears without any input, leading to rear wheel locking. This unpredictable behavior poses significant risks, especially at highway speeds.
One 2023 complaint described a 2016 F-150 driver reporting that while driving at 70 miles per hour, their truck abruptly shifted from sixth gear to first gear, nearly throwing them through the windshield.
Other customers have said their vehicle’s rear wheels suddenly locked when downshifting, resulting in skidding or loss of control.
As of the announcement, the NHTSA said no crashes have been directly attributed to the reported issues.
This investigation is just the latest in a series of NHTSA probes into F-150 downshifting problems. Last June, Ford recalled over half a million trucks from the 2014 model year due to similar complaints. The previous recall covered vehicles that abruptly shifted to first gear, regardless of speed, with several reports mentioning rear wheel locking. Reports at the time indicated two injuries and one crash potentially linked to the issue.
Ford had previously recalled 153,000 F-150s in 2016 to fix downshift problems on 2011 and 2012 models. There were also probes opened in 2017, and another in 2019 which included 2013 models.
Ford currently faces investigations into other models as well, including some Bronco Sport SUVs and Maverick pickups. These investigations involve claims of sudden power loss, and Expedition models, which are accused of having a faulty seat belt mechanism that unexpectedly tightens.
The automaker was fined $165 million last year due to its handling of a separate recall involving malfunctioning rear-view cameras.
The NHTSA’s website states, “The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 138 consumer complaints for model years 2015-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles alleging an unexpected, unrequested transmission downshift to a lower gear while traveling at highway speeds without any prior warning or driver input.” The NHTSA added that the unexpected downshift causes a quick vehicle deceleration. Some complaints further state that a vehicles rear wheels temporarily lock, seize and/or skid during the downshift, which can result in a loss of control and increase the risk of crashes and injury.
Next steps include a preliminary assessment by the NHTSA. The agency will then determine whether to upgrade the probe to a full engineering analysis and potentially mandate a recall.
