Ford's 1.3M F-150 Trucks Under Scrutiny in US Due to a Defect in Gear

Core Viewpoint - Ford Motor Company is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding nearly 1.3 million F-150 pickup trucks due to reports of sudden gear downshifts that can temporarily lock the rear wheels [1]. Investigation Details - The investigation targets 2015-2017 F-150 models after NHTSA received 138 consumer complaints about unexpected downshifts while driving at highway speeds [2]. - A Ford spokesperson stated that the company is cooperating with NHTSA, which is conducting a preliminary evaluation to determine if an engineering analysis is necessary before a potential recall [3]. Consumer Complaints - A complaint from 2023 described a 2016 F-150 suddenly shifting from sixth to first gear at 70 mph, nearly causing an accident [4]. - Many owners reported long wait times for replacement parts, and some complaints indicated that rear wheels could temporarily lock, increasing the risk of a crash [4]. Previous Recalls - This investigation follows a series of probes into unexpected downshifting in F-150 trucks, including a June recall of 668,000 2014 F-150 models for similar issues [5]. - Ford has previously recalled multiple F-150 model years for this problem, including 153,000 trucks from 2011-2012 in 2016 and 1.48 million F-150s from the 2013 model year in 2019 [6]. Financial Implications - In November, Ford agreed to pay a $165 million civil penalty after NHTSA found that the automaker failed to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras in a timely manner [6].