The US NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the equivalent of Transport Canada, announced this week it has launched a preliminary investigation into nearly 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks that may suffer from a potentially dangerous issue to do with their transmission. The inquiry is focusing on 2015-2017 models of the popular pickup.
The problem
Several reported incidents make the claim that the transmission could downshift unexpectedly, accompanied by a temporary locking of the rear wheels.
The branch of the NHTSA responsible for investigating defects in vehicle models has received 138 consumer complaints. Its objective will now be to determine the severity of the potential problem and its safety implications.
Essentially, complainants reported that their vehicle’s transmission shifted to a lower gear without warning, and this while the vehicle was moving at speed. Obviously, if the vehicle skips several transmission gears in a single downshift, the vehicle's deceleration will be rapid, unexpected and potentially dangerous. Some owners even reported rear wheel lockup, causing a skid leading to a loss of control.
No accidents or fires have been reported in connection with the issue.
The NHTSA will carry out its investigation and then decide if a recall is warranted.