JAKARTA - The United States highway safety authority is investigating an alleged transmission defect in about 1.27 million Ford F-150 units from 2015 to 2017. This follows reports of drivers who experience sudden gear shifts without warning, even causing extreme deceleration when the vehicle is moving.
The Office of Defective Investigations (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially upgraded the initial review stage to a full technical analysis. At this stage, vehicles and components will be thoroughly tested, while manufacturers usually begin to prepare for the worst possible scenario: a mass recall.
A number of owners reported that their trucks could suddenly downshift without any input from the driver. As reported by Carscoops, Tuesday, February 3.
In some cases, the slowdown occurs suddenly, even the rear wheels are locked for a moment, triggering the potential for slippage. Of course, this situation is very dangerous, especially when the vehicle is traveling at high speed.
The units under investigation are known to use Ford's six-speed automatic transmission 6R80. According to investigators, many owners have replaced various components, from the die-cast frame to the valve body, in order to overcome the problem.
This finding indicates that the disorder is not just a sporadic incident, but a recurring problem that haunts a number of vehicles. Ford Motor Company said this case is different from the recall of the previous generation F-150 which was triggered by the loss of a signal from a speed sensor.
In newer models, the alleged leads to electrical connections within the transmission frame that wear out over time due to exposure to heat and vibration. This condition can cause the loss of signals from other sensors, triggering a sudden gear shift.
More worrying, investigators also found another scenario during the test. A truck backing up on a hill reportedly lost transmission signal, shifted to neutral, then rolled forward.
This situation is certainly far from safe, especially for drivers who are reversing trailers on a sloping terrain. Although the increase in the status of the investigation does not automatically mean that a recall will occur, the spotlight is now getting sharper.
If NHTSA engineers confirm a defect that impacts safety, Ford could be required to make repairs to a large portion of its best-selling pickup fleet. For the American manufacturer, this potential is clearly bad news, especially after having faced pressure due to a number of product recalls throughout 2025.
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