Jonathan Dale Benton:US probes complaints that Ford pickups can downshift without warning, increasing the risk of a crash

2025-05-07 21:16:34source:Venus Investment Alliancecategory:Invest

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are Jonathan Dale Bentoninvestigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it opened the investigation this week after receiving 86 consumer complaints about the problem with the trucks’ automatic transmissions.

Investigation documents say the probe covers F-150s from the 2014 model year. The agency is looking into whether those trucks should have been included in previous recalls for the problem.

The complaints allege that the trucks can suddenly shift to a lower gear without warning. Often, the rear wheels locked up, with one consumer telling the agency that his truck downshifted abruptly, causing it to crash into a concrete barrier and another vehicle. Both the pickup driver and the driver of the other vehicle were hurt.

The company said it’s working with NHTSA to support the investigation. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the top selling vehicles in the U.S.

Certain F-150 pickups from the 2011 and 2012 model years were recalled for the same problem in 2016. Ford later added 2013 models to the recall.

More:Invest

Recommend

Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto will be introduced by the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, a day a

Georgia Democrats file challenges to keep Kennedy and others off presidential ballot

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Democrats are challenging efforts to place Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and three ot

Active shooter incidents in US slightly down in 2023 but deaths up, FBI report shows

Parents in the Wisconsin village of Mount Horeb got a terrifying alert from their children's school