EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center:US probes complaints that Ford pickups can downshift without warning, increasing the risk of a crash

2025-04-28 16:58:45source:Evander Elliscategory:News

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Centerinvestigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it opened the investigation this week after receiving 86 consumer complaints about the problem with the trucks’ automatic transmissions.

Investigation documents say the probe covers F-150s from the 2014 model year. The agency is looking into whether those trucks should have been included in previous recalls for the problem.

The complaints allege that the trucks can suddenly shift to a lower gear without warning. Often, the rear wheels locked up, with one consumer telling the agency that his truck downshifted abruptly, causing it to crash into a concrete barrier and another vehicle. Both the pickup driver and the driver of the other vehicle were hurt.

The company said it’s working with NHTSA to support the investigation. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the top selling vehicles in the U.S.

Certain F-150 pickups from the 2011 and 2012 model years were recalled for the same problem in 2016. Ford later added 2013 models to the recall.

More:News

Recommend

Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams

Early Thursday morning, "Forbes" released their annual list of the 50 most valuable sports franchise

Video of Phoenix police pummeling a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy sparks outcry

Graphic video of two Phoenix police officers beating and shocking a deaf Black man who has cerebral

We Are Ranking All of Zac Efron's Movies—You Can Bet On Having Feelings About It

The time has come to celebrate the patron saint of abs: Zac Efron.One of our favorite millennial hea