Another hit to Ford Quality, F-150 Recall.

Admit it, recalls are part of our DNA at Ford. Big number, lots of customers.

Ford is recalling more than 550,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the transmissions can unexpectedly downshift to first gear no matter how fast the trucks are going.

The recall covers certain F-150 pickups from the 2014 model year. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicles in the U.S.

Ford says in documents posted Tuesday by U.S. safety regulators that the downshifting can cause drivers to lose control of the trucks, increasing the risk of a crash.

Documents say the problem is caused by a lost signal between a transmission speed sensor and the powertrain control computer. There also could be corrosion and problems with connector pins.

Dealers will update the powertrain control software at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letters in early July.

Ford says in documents posted Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has 396 warranty and field reports and 124 customer complaints about the problem, covering 482 trucks.

The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker says it knows of 130 complaints to the government, with 52 alleging that rear wheels locked up or that drivers lost control of the trucks. Two of the complainants reported injuries and one reported a crash that could have been caused by the problem, Ford said.

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11 replies (most recent on top)

Ford can make so much profit if they can produce reliable vehicle and don't have to recall every single vehicle that they make.

my god, how does this Board still keep JB, JF, KG still employed?! These dudes have been there for well over 5 years now, show some accountability

"I think it's wonderful that Ford cares so much for people's safety that they voluntarily pay for these repairs."

ROFL

Only because of the massive legal threat and monetary loss if they don't!

Good one!

I think it's wonderful that Ford cares so much for people's safety that they voluntarily pay for these repairs.

It's one of the things that makes me proud to work here.

Hey now, you guys are being too critical. The vehicle at least is still in a forward gear with the downshift to first. Imagine how bad it would be if it shifted into reverse. Cut some slack. We need David Calhoun from Boeing now more than ever… He will quiet all these nay sayers up one pew pew at a time…

@yfa+1tc9Ridk Maybe you are right, but Corolla is the best selling vehicle in the world, and doesn't have that much complexity, isn't it?

Corolla has 4 trims. F-150 has 6 trims, plus 3 more off road versions, 3 cab styles, 3 bed lengths, and a selection of 6 engines. The Corolla doesn't have power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, 360-degree camera system, power-folding side mirrors, power-adjustable pedals, heated rear seats, and more that you can find in the beloved F-150. Do you know what else the Corolla doesn't have that the F-150 has? So many recalls.

I am not saying to stop producing fully loaded vehicles at Ford, but almost everything that we produce costs north of $50K. The cheapest vehicle right now is the Ranger, and we manufacture only the most expensive trim. Americans are among the wealthiest people in the world, and many cannot longer afford our vehicles. Do you think many Chinese or Latinoamericans are going to buy our expensive, yet unreliable vehicles? Think again.

A lot of buyers are attracted by the price, and the quality/price ratio. Mazda CX-5, one of the best CUVs out there, is simple, stylish and fun to drive. Similarly, Mini Countryman is simple, stylish and fun to drive. Our Ford Escape looks cheap, no climate control buttons (but buried in the Sync 3 touchscreen), smaller engine, and not so great transmission. But most important, the Escape is more expensive than the competition. That's why we are selling less Escape. We are focusing on "features" and "subscriptions", instead of making an awesome mechanical vehicle, or at least a cheaper reliable vehicle (like Corolla).

As I said before, maybe you are right. I am not an MBA or "marketing genius" like our current CEO, but if I know something for sure is that whatever we are doing at Ford is wrong. We are losing market share, we are selling less vehicles, we have less exciting vehicles, and even Wall Street expects Ford stock to go down. As Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."... well, call the nut house 'cause it seems our C-suite is insane.

My '77 F150 was a truly a 4x4 monster with a gas guzzling 360. I could literally see the fuel gauge drop as I drove around town... LOL, yeah great truck for the times. Maybe not the right recipe for these days!

@twj+1tc9Ridk
Your idea to strip the Ford brand of what you call “useless features“ of which the competitor brands will still incorporate and sell with reasonably good quality and with less recalls, will only make competitor products even more desirable.

It doesn’t sound like a winning solution.

No matter the brand, all the car manufacturers are dealing with the increased complexity of the modern vehicles. We keep piling more and more useless features, which requires more man-hours in R&D, programming and processes, instead of focusing ourselves in the main part. After all, people buy vehicles mainly for transportation, not for entertainment.

If Ford leaves most of these useless features to the Lincoln brand, and reduces complexity in the Ford brand, it would improve in the two things we are lacking right now: reliability and price. All those vehicles parked in the dealers lots would not be there now in they would cost 30K less. Just my two cents...

Updated number. 668,000 happy Ford customers. Ouch.

We’ve only been building the F-150 since 1975. Hopefully, someday we will get them right the first time. Maybe the Quality Czar will help (where has he been)?

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Another hit to Ford Quality, F-150 Recall.

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