New York, February 2, 2026, 09:25 EST — Premarket
Ford Motor (NYSE: F) shares were down 0.9% at $13.88 in premarket trading on Monday after U.S. auto safety regulator NHTSA expanded a probe into about 1.27 million F-150 pickups over reports of abrupt transmission downshifts. The agency moved the case into an engineering analysis — a deeper step that can precede a recall — and said some drivers reported sudden deceleration and, in some cases, brief rear-wheel lockup or skidding. (Reuters)
The development matters because it touches the F-150 line and comes with an open-ended question: whether the fix, if any, is cheap software or a wider hardware remedy that eats into profit.
It also lands at an awkward moment for automakers, with investors watching warranty and quality costs closely and looking for cleaner guidance on what “normal” margins should be this year.
Separately, Ford has had weekend headlines to deal with after the Financial Times reported the company had held talks with China’s Xiaomi about a possible U.S. EV partnership. Ford denied the report, calling it “completely false,” according to Reuters. (Reuters)
That kind of story tends to get political fast, and it keeps the focus on how Detroit carmakers plan to compete with low-cost Chinese electric models without adding regulatory and supply-chain baggage.
Still, an engineering analysis is not a recall order. Regulators can close a case, and even a recall can range from a simple reflash to a parts-intensive repair that takes time and capacity.
For shareholders, the near-term risk is less about one-day repair bills and more about uncertainty: timing, parts availability, and whether the issue adds to a running tab of customer fixes.
Traders will watch for any update from NHTSA, and for signs that the company can keep quality-related costs from creeping higher as it works through its 2025 mix of gas trucks, hybrids and slower-growing EV demand.
Ford is scheduled to release fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results after the close on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with CEO Jim Farley and CFO Sherry House due to speak on a conference call at 5 p.m. ET. (Ford)
