Back in February, the NHTSA opened an investigation into the Ford F-150, and now there’s a formal recall.
If you own one of 1,392,935 Ford F-150 trucks between the 2015 and 2017 model years, then there’s finally a solution in sight for widely reported transmission issues. After the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe earlier this year, Ford Motor Company is moving forward with a formal recall campaign to address the problem.
Specifically, the issue is some of these trucks’ tendency to abruptly and unexpectedly downshift to a lower gear, potentially causing wheel lockup and sliding that could result in drivers losing control. Degradation with electrical connections within the transmission lead frame could cause the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) to detect an incorrect signal position from the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS). That faulty signal could cause the PCM to make the 6R80 transmission downshift from sixth gear to second, for example.
This issue seems to be specific to the F-150 due to its transmission lead frame design, which is slightly different from other applications of the 6R80 like the Mustang, Explorer, Expedition, etc. At any rate, this particular recall (NHTSA recall 26V-237; Ford recall 26S28) only applies to 2015-2017 Ford F-150 trucks built between March 12, 2014 and August 18, 2017.
Is there a warning, and what’s the fix?
Ford says drivers may see a malfunction (wrench) light in the instrument cluster if the PCM is not picking up correct signals from the transmission range sensor. The NHTSA initially provided Ford with Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) complaining of an issue in October 2024, before launching its own probe on January 30, providing the automaker with more feedback from owners in the process.
To-date, Ford Motor Company notes 444 warranty claims, 121 field reports, 105 customer service reports and 316 VOQs related to the concern over the last decade. According to the recall report, it moved forward with the recall action on April 7, 2026.
As a remedy, owners will be notified between July 13 and July 17, 2026 to the actual fix, with an interim notification going out between April 27 and May 1 (the interim notification informs owners of the recall, but that a remedy isn’t available just yet). Dealer technicians at Ford and Lincoln dealerships will recalibrate the trucks’ PCM to include more time for the control system to recognize failing TRS hardware and signals before commanding a downshift. If an inspection reveals the truck has already exhibited diagnostic trouble codes related to troublesome TRS signals, they will replace the transmission lead frame as part of Ford’s extended warranty program, free of charge.
Owners can submit for their own expense under Ford’s general reimbursement plan, if they paid for repairs out-of-pocket.
