Ford’s Transmission Keeps Downshifting By Itself, And Now The Feds Are Stepping In
Regulators dig deeper into F-150 transmission drama as probe moves into full behind-the-wheel analysis
https://www.carscoops.com/author/chris-chilton-cc/
by Chris Chilton
NHTSA expands probe into Ford F-150 transmission malfunction.
Sudden downshifts can lock wheels and cause highway skids.
Problem affects nearly 1.3 million trucks from 2015 to 2017.
Remember that weird story from last year about Ford F-150s randomly grabbing a lower gear like an overexcited learner driver? It’s back, and this time, federal investigators aren’t just compiling numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re rolling up their sleeves and getting behind the wheel to see if a full-blown recall is justified.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has officially upgraded its earlier review into a full engineering analysis. That’s the stage where things get technical, parts and vehicles get tested, and automakers start sweating a little harder. The focus remains on roughly 1.27 million F-150 pickups from the 2015 through 2017 model years.
Related: F-150 Owners Blew Past 118 Million Miles Without Touching The Wheel
Drivers say the trucks can suddenly downshift without warning or any input from the driver. Imagine cruising along at highway speed when the transmission decides second gear sounds fun. Owners report abrupt deceleration and, in some cases, the rear wheels briefly locking, which can cause skidding.
Attempted Fixes
The trucks under scrutiny this time are equipped with Ford’s 6R80 six-speed automatic. According to investigators, many owners have already had parts like the molded lead frame or the valve body replaced in attempts to fix the issue. That suggests this is not just a one-off glitch but something that keeps coming back to haunt certain trucks.
Ford says this situation is different from earlier recalls that hit older F-150s. Those were tied to signal loss from one speed sensor. In these newer trucks, the suspected trouble involves electrical connections inside the transmission lead frame wearing down over time from heat and vibration, leading to signal loss from a different sensor.
Slipping Into Neutral
Investigators also found another eyebrow-raising scenario. During testing, a truck reversing uphill could lose the transmission signal, slip into neutral, and then roll forward. Not exactly confidence-inspiring if you’re backing up a trailer on a slope.
None of this means a recall is guaranteed, but it does mean the spotlight just got a lot brighter. If engineers confirm a defect that affects safety, Ford could be on the hook for a fix across a massive chunk of America’s favorite pickup fleet. And for a company that had a recall nightmare in 2025, that would be bad news.
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