The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into almost 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks amid safety fears about the vehicles following scores of complaints.
The NHTSA kicked off a preliminary evaluation this week after 138 drivers complained about alleged flaws in the trucks that were produced between 2015 and 2017. The agency is probing claims that some of the vehicles suddenly dropped into first gear—to the surprise of the drivers—regardless of how fast they were travelling at the time.
A Ford spokesperson told Reuters on Monday that the company was helping the NHTSA with its investigation.
Newsweek has reached out by email to Ford seeking further information and comment.
Why It Matters
Ford's F-Series pickups are the top-selling trucks in the U.S.
Statista, a data gathering company, revealed the F-Series sold some 732,139 trucks in 2024, making it the best-selling truck for the 48th consecutive year. The numbers dwarf the next best-selling pickup truck, which last year was the Chevrolet Silverado with 542,517 units sold.
What To Know
The allegations about the F-150s revolve around complaints that the vehicles suddenly deaccelerated by shifting into lower gears without the driver's input, with the rear wheels temporarily locking. Such an occurrence could prove extremely dangerous should it occur if the driver were travelling fast.
One complaint from 2023 in Ohio saw a driver of a 2016 F-150 report that while driving on the highway at 70 miles per hour, their "truck automatically shifted from 6th Gear to first gear nearly throwing me through the windshield."
Other Ford customers complained that their rear wheels suddenly locked unexpectedly as they changed to a lower gear, causing them to skid or temporarily lose control of their vehicle.
No crashes have been reported in connection with the complaints, the NHTSA said.
The announcement of the new probe is just the latest in a string of NHTSA investigations into problems with F-150 downshifting.
Last June, Ford recalled more than half a million trucks from 2014 in the U.S. amid reports some trucks were abruptly shifting to first gear regardless of the current speed. Other reports mentioned rear wheels locking. Two injuries and one crash were potentially being linked to the issue, according to reports at the time.
Ford had previously recalled 153,000 Ford F-150 vehicles in 2016 to address the downshift issue with models from 2011 and 2012. Further probes were opened in 2017 and again in 2019, with the scope expanded to 2013 models.
Other Ford models are also under investigation currently, with some Bronco Sport SUVs and Maverick pickups accused of suffering sudden power loss, while Ford Expeditions were accused of having a faulty seat belt mechanism that tightened unexpectedly.
The automaker was hit with a $165 million civil fine last year over its handling of a separate recall involving faulty rear-view cameras.
What People Are Saying
The announcement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website says: "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."
It added: "This unrequested transmission downshift would cause unexpected rapid vehicle deceleration. Certain consumer complaints additionally allege that the vehicle's rear wheels temporarily lock, seize, and/or skid during the downshift resulting in a loss of vehicle control increasing the risk for crash and injury."
What Happens Next?
The NHTSA will assess the situation with a preliminary evaluation and will then decide whether to upgrade the probe to a full engineering analysis before potentially requiring the company to issue a recall.