Ford Motor Company (F – Free Report) is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) regarding nearly 1.3 million F-150 pickup trucks in the United States due to reports of sudden gear downshifts that can temporarily lock the rear wheels.
The investigation focuses on 2015-2017 F-150 models after NHTSA received 138 consumer complaints. These reports describe unexpected downshifts to lower gears while driving at highway speeds, which cause abrupt downshifts to lower gears at highway speed without warning or driver input.
According to a Ford spokesperson, the company is cooperating with the NHTSA in the investigation involving vehicles equipped with six-speed transmissions. NHTSA is conducting a preliminary evaluation to determine whether an engineering analysis is needed before considering a potential recall.
One complaint from 2023, filed by the owner of a 2016 F-150 in Ohio, described a harrowing experience in which the truck suddenly shifted from sixth to first gear while traveling at 70 mph, nearly propelling the driver into the windshield. Many owners have also reported long wait times for replacement parts. Some complaints indicate that the rear wheels can temporarily lock, skid or seize during these unexpected downshifts, which NHTSA warns could increase the risk of a crash. However, the agency has not received any report on accidents or fires.
This investigation is the latest in a series of probes into unexpected downshifting in F-150 trucks. In June, Ford recalled 668,000 2014 F-150 models due to similar issues that caused drivers to lose control or experience rear-wheel lockup. Ford had previously recalled multiple F-150 model years for this problem.
In 2016, the company recalled 153,000 trucks from the 2011-2012 model years, and in 2019, it expanded a prior recall to include 1.48 million F-150s from the 2013 model year. The automaker later recalled 107,000 2013 trucks due to issues with the initial fix.
In November, Ford agreed to pay a $165 million civil penalty after NHTSA determined that the automaker failed to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras on time.
F’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Ford carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) at present.
Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are China Yuchai International Limited (CYD – Free Report) , Dana Incorporated (DAN – Free Report) and Strattec Security Corporation (STRT – Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CYD’s 2025 sales and earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 9.17% and 36.84%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 have improved 25 cents in the past 30 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DAN’s 2025 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 70.21%. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have improved 10 cents each in the past 30 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for STRT’s 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 2.61%. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have improved 91 cents and $1.06, respectively, in the past 30 days.
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