Sensor defect causes sudden downshifts and expands the brand's quality crisis, which has already accumulated almost 10 million vehicles recalled in 2026
Ford has officially recalled approximately 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks in the United States for a massive recall. The announcement comes at a time of critical pressure for the automaker, consolidating 2026 as the year with the highest volume of recalls in its history, surpassing the negative rates recorded in 2025.
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The defect was detected after a year-long investigation conducted by NHTSA, the agency responsible for road safety in the US. The problem affects units manufactured between 2015 and 2017 equipped with the 6R80 transmission. According to the technical report, the degradation of electrical connections by heat and vibration disrupts communication between the transmission speed sensor and the powertrain control module.
In practice, the failure causes sudden and involuntary reductions to second gear, regardless of speed or the driver’s command. The risk of accidents is high, with at least one collision and two injuries already reported. The solution proposed by the manufacturer consists of a software update to ensure that the vehicle does not force the reduction in case of loss of sensor signal.
The scenario for Ford is alarming: in the first four months of 2026 alone, the brand has already recalled almost 10 million vehicles. Until March, the company’s recall volume was three times higher than that of its main competitors. The recurrence resulted in a fine of US$ 165 million (about R$ 833.2 million) imposed by the NHTSA, in addition to the imposition of independent monitoring of its processes.
Guarantee costs, which exceed US$ 4 billion (R$ 20.2 billion) annually, compromise the profit margins necessary for the energy transition. CEO Jim Farley called the episodes “self-inflicted wounds.”
