Ford Motor Company knew of two "potentially" related injuries and one accident that led to a recall of about 1.4 million F-150 pickups in the United States.
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This recall follows a U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation, prompted by reports of the trucks unexpectedly downshifting, according to Reuters.
What Caused the Issue in the Ford F-150s?
According to the NHTSA's report, a loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module transmission could cause certain Ford F-150 models to downshift unexpectedly into second gear.
This issue could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The NHSTA said some affected owners may notice an illuminated malfunction indicator light or wrench light on the dashboard.
How Do I Know if My Truck Is Affected?
F-150 vehicles equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission that were produced between March 12, 2014, and Aug. 18, 2017, are affected by the recall.
Ford plans to send letters to the owners of affected F-150s beginning April 27. Truck owners can take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the affected components updated or replaced.
This news comes weeks after Ford recalled over 4.4 million vehicles due to a software glitch that can cause the tail lights, turn signals, and brakes of an attached trailer to fail.
The faulty software can cause a loss of communication between the towing vehicle and the trailer. This usually happens when the vehicle first starts. In a statement, Ford said that the trailer's lights and turn signals won't turn on. The brake function could also stop working.
If this communication loss happens, the driver will see a "Trailer Brake Module Fault" message. Also, the turn signal will begin to rapidly flash, and the "Blind Spot Assist System fault" message may also appear.
According to the NHTSA, this issue can increase the risk of a crash. Ford F-150s with model years ranging from 2021 to 2026 are among the seven models affected.
