Ford F-150 Faulty Transmission Recall: How To Know If Your Pickup Is Affected

Ford has just announced a recall of more than half a million F-150 pickups that were made in 2014 (which is one of the truck's best model years, in case you were wondering). The issue behind this move is that the transmission output shaft speed sensor and powertrain control module could lose communication with each other, leading to the transmission suddenly shifting to first gear, even if you were running at highway speeds. This sudden downshifting may create a dangerous situation, as a truck running at the speed limit suddenly losing speed could cause the driver to lose control and get into a crash. 

The NHTSA said that the recall affects 552,188 trucks, and the root source of the problem could be corrosion on the connector pins between the two components, causing the electrical connection to cut out. Dealers were notified about the recall on June 17, and registered owners of the affected car will receive notification letters starting in early July. However, if you don't want to wait for the letter or bought your F-150 used, you can also check out the Ford Recalls page to see if your car is affected.

If you have an account with Ford and registered your vehicles there, you should automatically be able to see if any of your registered cars are affected by a recall by going to the My Garage tab. Alternatively, you can also search by vehicle identification number (VIN) on the Ford Recalls web page to check whether your specific truck is affected by this (or any other recall).

The VIN is a unique set of numbers and letters that allow you, the manufacturer, and just about anyone to identify your car. You can find your Ford's VIN in the following locations for F-150s made after 1967: driver's side doorjamb or lower driver's side corner of the front windshield. If you don't want to go out to your truck — and you have its paperwork handy — you can also check its documentation, like your registration, title, or insurance policy.

As an alternative to the Ford Recalls website, you can input the information on the NHTSA Recalls page to counter-check Ford's list — in fact, checking with the NHTSA is one of the first things you should do if your vehicle is recalled. If your pickup is affected, you will be able to visit any Ford dealer once the repairs part of the recall is underway; it will update your truck's powertrain control module software for free.