Ford is recalling nearly 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks after gearshift issues presented potential safety concerns.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a notice on April 14 describing the reason for the recall, which impacts 2015-2017 F-150s with 6-speed automatic transmissions.
The notice comes two months after safety regulators began their initial investigation into the relevant F-150s.
According to the NHTSA, "unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash" and that "a loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear."
In additional NHTSA recall documents, officials outlined that while 1.4 million vehicles were being recalled, only an estimated 1% had the defect, which it describes as potentially "caus[ing] an abrupt wheel speed reduction for a short duration, which in some situations could cause the rear tires to slide until the vehicle speed slows."
Indicator lights in the instrument cluster may alert drivers of the issue, and if these warning lights blink, drivers should immediately pursue a fix, per Road and Track.
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Those who are impacted by the recall should be able to have their powertrain system updated or replaced for free at Ford or Lincoln dealerships. Owners of the vehicles that could be impacted should be notified by Ford via mail later this month.
The NHTSA also noted that individuals who believe they might be impacted by the recall should contact Ford's customer service team at 1-866-436-7332 and use the specific recall number 26S28.
The recall has come amid reports of injuries and accidents that could potentially be related to the issue, AP News reports. There are over 100 outstanding customer service reports and 100 field reports that could potentially relate to this issue, in addition to over 400 warranty claims as well.
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