Ford recalls nearly 1.4 million trucks over faulty transmission issue

Ford Motor Company is recalling nearly 1.4 million trucks because the transmission could downshift into second gear unexpectedly. 

What we know:

The potential number of impacted vehicles is 1,392,935 of the F-150 trucks from 2015 to 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall notice. All affected vehicles have a 6-speed automatic transmission.  

The issue is related to a bad signal from the transmission range sensor to the powertrain control module. Without the proper translation, the transmission could shift down into second gear, possibly leading to a driver losing control of the vehicle. 

RELATED: Kia and Genesis recall 235K cars over fuel leak issues

Why you should care:

According to the recall notice from the NHTSA, sometimes the loss of the bad signal would show as an indicator light on the dashboard. It would show an image of a “wrench”. 

RELATED: Honda recalls 440K vehicles for faulty air bags

How to fix the issue

What’s next:

Letters to owners will be mailed out next week to notify them of the safety risk. Ford is looking to determine a permanent fix to the issue, but in the meantime, owners can take their vehicles into a dealership to have the powertrain control module software updated. Dealers are offering this free of charge. 

Owners may also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to their website for more information.