(Reuters) -The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it has opened a preliminary probe into nearly 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks over reports of an unexpected gear downshift accompanied by a temporary rear wheel lock-up.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, which received 138 consumer complaints, will determine the severity of the potential problem and its safety-related implications.
Complainants alleged an unexpected transmission downshift to a lower gear while traveling at highway speeds without any prior warning or driver input, followed by the vehicle rapidly decelerating.
Some complaints added the vehicle’s rear wheels would lock temporarily, seize or skid during the downshift, leading to loss of control. This could lead to an increased risk of crash and injury, NHTSA said. The report, however, said no crashes or fires had been reported.
The preliminary evaluation, which was opened on Friday, covers Ford’s F-150 model years 2015 to 2017.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain and Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
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