NHTSA Complaint #11374047 — 2012 FORD F-150

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL ON A MAIN STREET WITH MY KIDS WHEN MY F150 2012 SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC AND THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING ME ALSO. I HAD TO PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AND MAKE MY WAY TO MY HOUSE. I TOLD MY WIFE WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED TO HER. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL TO SOLVE THE ISSUE AND COULD FIX IT IN APPROXIMATELY SIX DAYS. AFTER PICKING THE TRUCK UP THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE DRIVE HOME. IT DROPPED INTO FIRST GEAR FROM 3RD OR 4TH AND ALMOST LOCKED UP THE TIRES ON A BUSY ROAD. I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET WITH FORD FOR RETURNING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE STATING THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TESTING IT TO BE SURE AND PUTTING MY FAMILY IN DANGER. I CALLED THEM BACK AND THEY SAID THAT WAS THE ONLY FIX ON THE RECALL. I HOPE FORD IS NOT GETTING OFF THAT EASY BY DOING A SOFTWARE FIX WHEN OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM IS BIGGER. THEY MUST BE HELD TO A SAFE STANDARD AND ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF NOT ONLY THEIR CUSTOMERS BUT OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROADS. THE FACT THAT THE MECHANICS ARE NOW TELLING ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY KNOW THE FIX BUT WANT US THE CONSUMERS TO PAY TO FIX THEIR WIDE SPREAD ISSUES IS FRUSTRATING AND SCARY IMAGING HOW MANY PEOPLE WONT BE ABLE TO OR WANT TO FIX THE ISSUE AND SELL THE VEHICLES PASSING THE SAFETY HAZARD ON.