Beware of Decade-Old Ford F-150s With This Major Transmission Issue
A fairly alarming transmission issue has been found on decade-old Ford F-150 pickups, more specifically 2014 models.
The U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in March after getting multiple complaints from owners. It is now requiring the automaker to recall over 550,000 units across the country while looking into whether additional model years should be on the list.
- Also: Ford Recalls 185,000 Trucks in Canada, Most of Them New F-150s
- Also: Ford F-150: the Recall List Keeps Growing
The number of affected F-150s north of the border tops 95,000 units according to Transport Canada.
According to the NHTSA, “some vehicles may experience an intermittent loss of the transmission Output Shaft Speed (OSS) sensor signal to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), potentially resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear.” Of course, when that happens, startled drivers may lose control of the vehicle and damage to the powertrain may ensue.
The NHTSA believes that corrosion or connector pin problems could be the cause, here. Dealers will perform an inspection and update the PCM software.
Various incidents, including a collision that left two people injured, have been reported so far. Ford claims that the transmission issue affects less than one percent of the recall population.
Speaking of transmission issues, in 2021 and 2022, the automaker had to recall thousands of next-gen F-150s in Canada because the underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft. Over time, the marking and scoring that occurs to the driveshaft causes heat buildup and a material thickness reduction of the aluminum driveshaft, which could ultimately lead to a fracture.
The F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in Canada and the U.S. but also one of the top recall producers.