The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a safety alert for 2011 and 2012 model year Ford F-series pickup trucks equipped with flawed automatic transmission interlocks. Drivers can shift the affected Ford trucks from “Park” into gear without stepping on the trucks’ brakes, increasing the risk of collisions and possibly injuring nearby pedestrians.
NHTSA says such faulty transmission interlocks, believed to be found in 16,091 Ford trucks, also violate federal safety standards.
The recall affects the 2011 model year Ford F-150 pickup trucks and 2012 model year Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, and heavy duty F-550 trucks, all manufactured last September.
Ford will notify affected owners to bring in their recalled trucks to local dealerships where mechanics will inspect and replace the brake shift interlock switch for free.