Nearly 1.3M Ford F-150s under investigation for reported unexpected gear downshifts
Ford is “working with NHTSA to support its investigation," a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation is opening a "Preliminary Evaluation" regarding reports of 2015-2017 Ford F-150 trucks suddenly downshifting while moving at "highway speeds."
"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 announcement on the NHTSA website notes.
"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."
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The Ford Motor Co. logo is displayed outside a Ford automobile dealership in Hailey, Idaho, on March 21, 2025. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
The evaluation is meant "to determine the scope and severity of the potential safety-related consequences," the announcement indicates.
An estimated 1,270,970 2015-2017 Ford F-150s are under scrutiny, a government document about the probe states.
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2016 Ford F150 is on display at the 108th Annual Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. on Feb. 12, 2016. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
A Ford spokesperson told Fox News Digital via email on Monday that the company is "working with NHTSA to support its investigation," and that "this investigation is on 6speed transmission only."
The company has previously issued safety recalls regarding problematic downshifting in other model year F-150s.
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2016 Ford F150 is on display at the 108th Annual Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on Feb. 12, 2016. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
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The 50th anniversary of the F-150 is in 2025, Ford noted in a press release late last year.