NHTSA investigating 2014 Ford-150 unexpected downshifting; Chrysler is recalling the airbags

And Teresa Moss
up April 8, 2024
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigates 86 complaints the 2014 Ford F-150 dropped unexpectedly.

The investigation follows the recall of 2011-2013 Ford F-150 models in 2016 and 2019 for the same concern.

NHTSA documents say recent complaints involve the vehicle slowing down suddenly without warning after going downhill.

“Unexpected downshifts can also cause the rear wheel to lock up and/or skid, increasing the risk of an accident and/or injury,” the documents state.

It says one user claims he hit a concrete barrier with another vehicle after his F-150 went downhill. The driver and the driver of the other vehicle both suffered injuries, it said.

The request for repatriation was opened on March 27, according to the document. If the recall is carried out, it will affect 540,000 vehicles.

The Report Associated Press Ford says it is working with NHTSA on the investigation.

Chrysler also recently recalled 280,000 vehicles due to left and right airbags that could rupture and cause sharp pieces of metal to strike occupants. according to NHTSA.

The recall follows an NHTSA investigation into the airbag rupture. The investigation focused on the compressed gas escaping rapidly from the respirator during bursting. That gas can inject material into the vehicle, NHTSA documents say.

Certain 2018-2021 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 models are affected by the recall. The notification for dealers and car owners will start on May 3.

Joyson Safety Systems is listed as a parts manufacturer on NHTSA records. The documentation does not specify which part. The company offers many airbag products including inflators.

About 67 million air bags are used by 19 OEMs have been recalled because inflators can explode when the air bags are deployed, causing serious injuries or death.

The the child of the allegedly murdered woman and Automotive ARC airbag rupture in 2021 previously prompted NHTSA to recall ARC airbag inflators.

Jacob Tarvis told NHTSA that his mother Marlene Beaudoin, 39, died after her airbag exploded “like a dirty bomb” while she and her seven siblings were in the car.

A lawsuit filed by the family in August 2022 against ARC, General Motors and Toyoda Gosei North America Corp. pending delivery in Michigan.

A class-action lawsuit filed in San Francisco that same year accuses ARC, GM, Ford and Volkswagen of selling vehicles with airbag inflators that are at risk of exploding.

Another class action lawsuit against ARC, Audi, Volkswagen, General Motors, Ford, Joyson Safety Systems and Toyoda Gosei was filed in 2022.

Most of the lawsuits were consolidated with other class-action lawsuits against ARC before a single judge in the Atlanta-based U.S. District Court’s Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in late 2022, according to court documents. The case is ongoing.