95K Ford trucks recalled in Canada over ‘unexpected downshift’ risk

Automaker Ford is recalling thousands of pickup trucks in Canada and the United States because of an “unexpected downshift” into the first gear that may cause loss of vehicle control.

The recall notice issued Tuesday is for some F-150 vehicles of the 2014 model year.

Roughly 95,000 vehicles in Canada will be affected under this recall, a Ford spokesperson told Global News in an email on Wednesday.

That is on top of approximately 552,188 vehicles being recalled in the U.S.

According to Ford, the number of vehicles impacted is expected to be less than one per cent of the recall population.

“A loss of signal between the transmission output shaft speed sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed,” the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in its recall notice.

“Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.”

Ford spokesperson told Global News that before customers experience a downshift to first gear, the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may illuminate.

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“In some cases, the output shaft signal could recover while driving and the vehicle will resume normal function; in other cases, the vehicle may need to be stopped and restarted to regain normal transmission operation,” the spokesperson said.

Letters notifying affected truck owners are expected to be mailed next week.

Dealers will update the powertrain control module software at no cost.

Ford says it is expecting the repairs on the recalled trucks to begin in the third quarter of the year.

The recall comes after U.S. auto safety regulators in March began investigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks from 2014 can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash.

Transport Canada estimates that roughly 95,174 F-150 pickup trucks are affected in the country.

“Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your truck to a dealership to update the powertrain control module software,” the department said in a recall notice that was updated on Wednesday.

— with files from The Associated Press.