Ford has repeated part of an older recall, asking 567 owners to bring F-150 pickups from model year 2021 back to the dealership for a second repair. The trucks can unexpectedly shift into neutral while driving. Owners were told this issue had been repaired in 2022. Ford has since learned that the problem was never fixed for a small number of owners.
Ford recalled more than 47,000 trucks in 2022 because a software error could cause them to detect low transmission fluid pressure and shift into neutral even when their transmission fluid pressure was fine. The company repaired most with a software update.
It has since learned that the tool dealers used to upload software updates then had a flaw — it could sometimes report a successful installation even when the process failed. Dealers returned some trucks to owners, believing they’d fixed the issue, but the problem remained.
Dealers need to install the update a second time for those trucks. They have a new process that should allow them to verify installation before returning the trucks. Ford knows which F-150s need a second repair and will contact those owners by mail.
Automakers recall many cars to fix safety defects, sometimes more than once. While automakers try to reach every owner to ask them to bring the vehicle in for repair, they rarely reach them all. Millions of vehicles on American roads need free recall repairs. Check the easy VIN tool at our recall center to find out if your car is one of them.
