Ford Recalling 1.4 Million F-150 Pickups Due to Transmission Issue

by Michael Strong

Published: April 17th, 2026

ford recalling 1 4 million f 150 pickups due to transmission issue

Ford Motor Co. announced it’s recalling about 1.4 million F-150 full-size pickups due to a problem with certain six- and 10-speed transmissions that may downshift while in motion, possibly even causing the rear wheels to lock up.

The issue affects certain model year 2015-2017 F-150 pickups with a 6R80 transmission. The problem may also occur on 2017 model year trucks with a 10R80 transmission, according to a filing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency has been investigating the problem for more than a year, after several vehicle owners reported problems.

“Consumers reported that their vehicles’ transmission suddenly downshifted to a lower gear, often to 1st or 2ndgear, without driver input or advance warning,” the agency wrote in a filing. Owners reported the problem occurred regularly, and 43 percent of those interviewed reporting the rear wheels locked up at least one time, noting the truck “screeched, or skidded during the transmission downshift.”

Ford told regulators the problem involved “degradation of electrical connections within the lead frame due to thermal cycling and vibration over extended time in service resulting in signal loss from the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS).”

Agency investigators noted the loss of signal from the transmission range sensor will cause the transmission to shift to neutral, downshift, and even upshift unintentionally. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to resolve the issue. Ford told NHTSA it was aware of two “potentially” related injuries and one accident tied to the problem, according a story published by Reuters.

[Images: Ford]

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Michael Strong

Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.

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5 of 41 comments

Funky D on Apr 18, 2026

Well, never had a problem with the old 4R75 in my 2005, so there's a data point.

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- Lloyd Bonified on Apr 19, 2026
  
  Is that the transmission the Panthers got?
  
  Like
- EBFlexing on ur mom on Apr 19, 2026
  
  4R70W
  
  2
Jamie on Apr 20, 2026

I have a 2012 F150 4wd and it locked up on me at 75 mph while I was in a pack of 3 lane traffic including semis I went sideways into the left breakdown lane and was fortunate enough to not hit anything after being sideways it unlocked itself otherwise I was out of control. Could have been worse I wonder how many bad accidents have happened my guess is many !! I did replaced the lead frame myself and bought me a Chevy

1 Reply
- EBFlexing on ur mom on Apr 20, 2026
  
  Hopefully not the 6.2L lol
  
  Like

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