The Biggest Transmission Recalls In Recent History

Regardless of whether you've bought a new car, a washing machine, or a laptop, you might eventually discover potential issues. There are some crucial safety concerns that manufacturers have to bear in mind, and should anything threaten that, even potentially, action has to be taken. Motor vehicles, of course, are particularly vulnerable to this, being effectively a collection of crucial components, any one of which could be deadly if a fault arises. 

The transmission is one of the most critical elements of all, and any vehicle with transmission issues could cause enormous danger to its driver and others on the road. There are telltale signs that your transmission may be going bad, but sometimes the first drivers know of a potential problem is a vehicle recall.  Some only concern a small number of vehicles, while others can be enormous.  As such, some of the biggest auto recalls have centered around the transmission of the vehicle in question. 

Here are some of the most extensive recent transmission recalls, how they came about, and which models were affected by them. These transmission problems concern some of the biggest auto manufacturers in the business, and it was incumbent upon them to protect customers by investigating possible issues and resolving them where necessary. Here's how they opted to approach that in these high-profile cases, exactly how many vehicles were included in them, and whether the fix was a simple matter of software or something rather more complex. 

Recalls are never exactly welcomed by manufacturers, and sometimes, they can really compound. That was exactly what happened to Hyundai in November 2024, when a transmission recall arrived in the wake of a trio of other recalls. One of these concerned the potentially sub-standard sunshades of some 35,000 Santa Fe SUVs, and was joined by a recall for potentially damaged charging units for the Genesis GV60, GV70, and Ioniq (this one was much more widespread and potentially affected some 145,000 of the vehicles) later that month. The last of that November's recalls from Hyundai concerned an issue with the rearview mirror that delayed or prevented the feed from appearing. 226,000 vehicles were included in this recall.

Joining all this hubbub was a fourth issue with the marque. This transmission recall, which hit 42,000 Santa Fe and Tucson vehicles, came down to a problem with the wiring. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underlined that the fault lay with the "Console Extension Wiring Assembly located near the transmission shift lever that may have been improperly routed during assembly, increasing the risk of contact with the mechanical release for the shift lever lock."

Ultimately, this could lead to a situation whereby a vehicle could be "shifted out of Park without depressing the brake pedal, potentially causing a vehicle rollaway." In response, Hyundai offered to adjust the wiring of the affected components for free at dealerships.

November 2024, it seems, was quite a bad month for big automakers all around in the transmission stakes. Back with General Motors now, a second recall was issued just days after the one that hit almost half a million models that month. This was a similar, though ultimately unrelated, issue.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue concerned the software of the transmission's control module, which may not react correctly to electronic issues that may occur while the transmission is in action. Per the agency's report, "[M]iscalibrations can cause harsh shifting or reduced power or may result in unintended deceleration or rear wheel lockup." Perhaps most egregiously, it was even possible for the driver to lose control of an affected vehicle to a certain extent, though the report notes that this could occasionally occur at low speeds.

This recall was far less widespread than GM's other that month, with the affected vehicles identified as just two different models. The issue mainly affected the 2022-23 Chevrolet Express, of which 54,722 were included. The remainder were GMC Savanas –- the Express' non-Chevy counterpart -– from the same period. In both cases, only those that included particular engines and transmissions were affected.

Drivers of affected vehicles could have this rectified at the dealer, where the settings of the control model would be corrected. Thereafter, the transmission would respond as it should to any electrical interruptions during operation.

A transmission can be a complex beast indeed, a mechanical wonder made up of a wide range of components big and small. Any one of these components, unfortunately, could lead to a widespread recall. In November 2020, the smallest components of the start/stop transmission accumulator -– or rather, the potential lack of those components –- caused General Motors to recall almost 200,000 vehicles.

A total of 12 different models were affected by this recall: Buick's LaCrosse, Enclave, and Encore, Chevrolet's Equinox, Cruze, Blazer, Malibu, and Traverse, GMC's Acadia and Terrain, and the Cadillac XT4 and XT6. All were from the 2018 to 2020 model years. What's particularly interesting about this recall is how the numbers affected are distributed. Just a pair of Buick Encores and seven XT4s were recalled, for instance, while almost two-thirds of the total were Chevy Cruzes alone. 

What was potentially wrong with them? The issue, it seems, was yet another software problem, but not one connected to the vehicle itself. Instead, two bolts may not have been applied to the start-stop accumulator at the factory. As a result, transmission oil could leak from it. From faster wear to a loss of control and even a fire, oil leaks can cause no end of trouble for motorists, so dealerships and the supplier committed to replacing the part with one that had a full complement of four bolts and to ensure no further parts were created without them respectively.

Sometimes, a vehicle is recalled for a very specific issue that can cause an equally specific problem. In the case of this Subaru situation from December 2021, that wasn't quite the case. A combination of contemporary and classic motor issues combined in another potentially dangerous transmission issue that warranted a recall.

This issue primarily affected the Subaru Ascent, specifically the 2019 and 2020 Ascent. It made up almost 161,000 of the 198,255 recalled, with 2,057 Subaru Legacy units also included. The problem began with the transmission control unit in continuously variable transmission models, which may have a fault, caused by its software, that prevents the drive chain from functioning as it should.

It's a danger that Subaru had been grappling with for some time. In 2019, another Subaru recall struck the Ascent. This one was connected to that model year, and wasn't as extensive: 76,842 Ascents were impacted. This one could affect the pressure of the models concerned, cutting it as a result of the pressure sensor having an issue with registering accurate readings. Subaru's proposed fix for the models concerned was a software update, which aimed to ensure accurate readings and so prevent any recurrences.

Now, "heavy-duty truck" and "loss of control" make for one of the most frightening collections of words that a motorist could imagine. Ford's F-250 and F-350 are formidable vehicles indeed, with the 2024 model of the latter potentially weighing in at upwards of 7,300 lbs. It's big and it's powerful, and it needs to be tamed via equally robust components on the inside. Unfortunately, though, transmission issues are a common F-250 problem, with that model and the F-350 facing a considerable recall in February 2022. 

A total of 247,445 Super Duty vehicles, from the 2017 model year up to 2022, were possibly affected by a problem involving the driveshaft, a critical element of the transmission. A notice issued by Ford in February 2022 explained the problem, which may affect some gas models equipped with an aluminum one-piece driveshaft: "[U]nderbody insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, resulting in marking or scoring of the driveshaft." Though this contact may only cause limited damage at first, it may break the driveshaft over time. The risk is that a broken camshaft could cause other damage to the vehicle, or even, the report went on, make contact with the ground, resulting in a potential loss of control while driving.

In response to the issue, Ford announced that all dealers had to inspect and repair all new models involved in the recall, with a potential penalty of $21,000 for every vehicle violating these terms per federal law. 

The Toyota brand is well-known for reliability and for the fastidiousness of its design philosophy. However, the Japanese heavyweight has grappled with its share of product recalls too. In February 2024, in the space of a week, four different product recalls were issued by the company, affecting a combined 683,000 Toyotas. The other three recalls issued that month concerned a defective rearview mirror display, a potential hazard with nuts coming loose from the rear axle of the Tacoma, and newer Camry family members from 2023 and 2024 possibly having a fault with the passenger head restraint. The transmission fault saw the recall of 280,000 Sequoia and Tundra vehicles, and it also included vehicles from Toyota's luxury marque, Lexus, which could have been at risk too.

The Sequoia and Tundra are a sizable SUV and pickup respectively, while the LX 600 from Lexus is another full-size SUV. There are fundamental differences between the three vehicle families, but they share something important in common: The potential for movement from neutral as a result of the transmission continuing to power the vehicle. 

The issue was fixable, however, by applying the latest software. That was yet another example of how very convenient it is to be able to apply such updates to modern autos.

GM is another auto heavyweight that has run afoul of possible issues with its transmissions, and here's another that would ultimately impact around half a million vehicles. This time, the issue concerned quite a wide range of vehicles: the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado, and the GMC Yukon and Sierra, from the 2021 to 2022 model years, depending on the vehicle, were prominent among those recalled.

What was the transmission issue this time? These vehicles were potentially vulnerable to a fault that would lock the back wheels. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report stated that a total of 461,839 vehicles may have been affected and that around 4,600 of them were believed to have the problem. Per the report, the issue could be potentially present in diesel models, as they use a different transmission. The NHTSA stated that the automaker had "previously investigated this condition and determined that, in some applications, excessive wear in a control valve in these transmissions was causing harsh downshifting and, in rare cases, a momentary (<150 ms) lock up of the rear wheels."xtagstartz/p>

You might think that the issuing of a recall could cause an unsightly blot on a reputation. In some cases, this is true. When considering a vehicle like the F-150 truck, though, it seems that precious little can harm that reputation. After all, in 2023, the F-Series celebrated a ludicrous 41 years running as the United States' best-selling vehicle. Even a titan such as this isn't untouchable, though. In fact, its great popularity means that, in the case of an issue, there could be huge numbers of models affected. 

In June 2024, Consumer Reports noted that more than half a million F-150 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year had been recalled over a transmission issue. The automatic transmissions concerned had the potential to cause the vehicle to drop to first gear unpredictably as a result of signal loss. Those in command of several thousands of pounds of hefty truck, naturally, want to maintain that control of it at all times, and so Ford had to respond decisively to the alarming situation.

The potentially affected models, thankfully, represented a limited number of the many F-150s on the roads, being only 2014 models. The recall still hit some 550,000 vehicles, though. If there's some good fortune to be drawn from the deadly danger, it's that Ford was able to implement a software fix to prevent the issue. This was applied to the Powertrain Control Module of the vehicles concerned. 

The Ford Escape has had its great years and some you might be better off avoiding. It isn't the most unique and stylish vehicle, but it's still a solid entry in the SUV sphere. These are models known for their practicality and capability, but as popular as they are, they're far from immune from recalls. The Escape, in fact, was prominent in one of the biggest recent transmission recalls.

Around 1,726,763 Escapes, produced between October 2011 and August 2019, were joined by around 1.2 million over Fords -– the Edge, C-Max, Fusion, and Transit Connect – produced between 2013 and 2021 in this huge recall. The reason was another pesky, small yet vital component of the transmission: the gear shift. 

As The New York Times reported, "the vehicles could have missing or damaged bearings that could prevent them from shifting into gear properly and allow them to move even if the shifter indicates they are in park." Why would this situation come about, after the driver had done everything right? "The bushing that attaches the shift cable to the transmission may degrade or detach," the NHTSA report stated. "A damaged or missing bushing could prevent the shifter from moving the transmission to the intended gear position." 

It was unclear how this component could become damaged, though Ford reportedly noted that factors such as heat could cause the bushing to wear away or become damaged. In response, the automaker pledged to replace the bushing and provide a protective capping for it as needed. 

The motor mount or engine mount isn't the most glamorous part of a vehicle. It looks like one of those irritating pieces of a flat-pack that you don't quite know what to do with. As is often the case, though, these simple little pieces can tend to be some of the most important, as Chevrolet found out to its detriment in 1971.

A motor mount lends vital stability to a vehicle's performance, keeping that hard-working engine still and dampening the effects of its actions. This is most certainly not a component that you want sliding around like a piece of luggage, damaging other vital aspects of the vehicle in the process. In December 1971, a recall for millions of Chevy vehicles was confirmed. Affected models included Carnaros, Novas, and some light trucks, all from the 1965 to 1969 model years.

General Motors president Edward Cole downplayed the issue, with The New York Times of October 19, 1971, quoting Cole as stating that affected vehicles posed "no real danger and [there's] no reason a person shouldn't drive the car in a normal manner." Nonetheless, the very real risk -– regardless of the likelihood –- of a loss of control caused by a broken motor mount resulted in GM committing to fitting a restraint to the affected models in the case of an issue with the mount, a measure that cost the company an estimated $25-37 million. Still, if you come to think of it, approximately $5 per vehicle isn't bad at all.

Our final case study is a particularly intriguing one. This well-publicized situation didn't officially result in a recall. One was in the offing, though, and Ford was very fortunate to have avoided such a fate in this case. It would have been very financially damaging indeed, given the scale of the problem. 

June 1980 was an attention-grabbing month for many reasons. This was the month that Tim Berners-Lee built the groundbreaking ENQUIRE program, which utilized a hyperlink system to connect 'nodes' of information. It would evolve into the internet as we know it today. Elsewhere that month, though, the Ford Motor Company was faced with an issue on an enormous scale. It had been determined that Ford vehicles with automatic transmissions of the FMX, JATCO, C-3, C-4, and C-6 variants could potentially slip out of park and begin to reverse. 

How widespread was the issue? On June 10, 1980, the U.S. government determined that there were possible issues with the transmission systems of 16 million Ford-manufactured vehicles. No official recall was ultimately deemed necessary, as a different solution was reached. Ford emailed 23 million decals to customers, for display in affected vehicles. They highlighted the importance of adjusting and checking the parking brake before switching to park and switching off the ignition.