Ford Motor Co. is recalling up to 552,188 model year 2014 F-150 pickups, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration.
The recall is to address a condition where a loss of signal between the transmission output shaft speed sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the vehicles to suddenly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed. The unexpected downshift could result in a loss of vehicle control, according to Ford’s filing with the NHTSA.
As of April 8, Ford was notified of 300 warranty reports, 96 field reports and 124 customer complaints related to unexpected transmission downshifting. Of these reports, 40 trucks had alleged rear wheel lock-up and/or loss of vehicle control, according to the NHTSA documents.
The trucks were built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan and Kansas City Assembly Plant, between June and December of 2014, and equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Ford said it reviewed manufacturing records to determine the exact number of affected vehicles, according to NHTSA documents. The automaker was able to trace the powertrain control module calibrations for each vehicle in the recall, which will be updated by Ford dealers at no cost to customers.
Ford cited an intermittent electrical problem for the unexpected downshifts, including contamination, power short to ground, connector corrosion, connector pin swaging and incorrect outputs from the output shaft speed sensor. In some cases, the output shaft speed sensor signal could recover while driving, according to the NHTSA safety recall report. But in other cases, the vehicle may need to be stopped and restarted to regain normal transmission operation.
The recall of the 2014 F-150 is Ford’s third in recent months and 30th this year, which collectively includes over 2.5 million vehicles, according to the NHTSA. However, recalls in general have been on the rise for automakers since 2019, mainly due to more vehicle complexity, according to the 2023 Annual Report Safety Recalls data released in March by the NHTSA.
In an interview with analyst Rob Lache at the Wolfe Research Global 2024 Auto and Auto Tech Conference in February, Ford CEO Jim Farley says he’s been working to improve quality since taking over the role in October 2020. However, he expressed regrets for not doing it sooner, as recalls and other vehicle problems can impact brand reputation. Among major automakers, Ford is tied with Stellantis for the highest number of recalls in 2024.
“You have to set up a culture shift performance reward system, where every engineering manager, purchasing component manager, every plant manager is fully accountable for the quality and cost of their work,” said Farley at the event.
In April, Ford recalled 456,565 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick pickups to address a condition where the powertrain control module calibrations may fail to detect a sudden change in the vehicle’s battery state of charge, which can lead to a loss of power while driving.
In early May, Ford recalled up to 242,669 Maverick pickups to fix a problem that could cause the rear tail lights to turn off while driving. The automaker said the problem was related to software for the body control module that may inadvertently deactivate one or both of the rear tail lights.
For the latest recall, 2014 F-150 owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the powertrain control module updated. The letters are expected to be mailed the week of July 1.
Customers can also contact a local Ford or Lincoln dealer, which can obtain specific information regarding the vehicles from Ford’s online automotive service information system database.
