The problem is attributed to a lost signal between a transmission speed sensor and the powertrain control computer.
Ford is recalling roughly 550,000 F-150 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year in the U.S. because of a transmission issue that can cause the vehicles to unexpectedly downshift to first gear regardless of speed, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall comes in response to complaints and an investigation initiated by U.S. auto safety regulators in March which identified that more than 540,000 of the trucks could abruptly shift to a lower gear.
The downshifting problem, as outlined in documents posted Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is attributed to a lost signal between a transmission speed sensor and the powertrain control computer. Potential corrosion and problems with connector pins may also contribute to the malfunction.
Ford has documented 396 warranty and field reports and 124 customer complaints about the issue, affecting a total of 482 trucks.
