10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 10 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 8 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 76,068 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to third gear. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted to first gear with the service vehicle warning light illuminated and DTC code: P0720 (Powertrain Control Module) was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that after several attempts, she was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle had exceeded the timeframe for Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B05,19S19, 19S07. The contact was advised to call the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
- Pineville, MO, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the transmission down shifted inadvertently, and the tires locked up and the vehicle skidded. The contact veered over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the brake lights failed to illuminate as designed. The wrench warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the wrench light disappeared. The contact stated that after driving for a few miles, the transmission downshifted, and the wheels locked up. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and it was determined that the transmission range sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The consumer stated the failure mileage is incorrect, it was 142,000.
- Roswell, NM, USA
After 2 recalls and powertrain control module updates, the sudden downshift problems persist. I question that a software update can be a full repair if the source is the speed sensor in the transmission (this has been labeled as the source of the problem by Ford). The nthsa has said they are satisfied with the repair, is this because the "repair" prevents crashes and injury even though it does not present a solution to the real problem?
- Marrero, LA, USA
Had the lead frame recall performed but transmission still downshifted from 6 gear to 1 gear while traveling at a speed of 70 mph. Supposively there is a software update they didn-??t perform and now saying I have to pay for that. Should have been performed at time of lead frame recall but not part of that recall however it still caused the dangerous downshift to 1st gear.
- White House, TN, USA
We bought this truck in 2019 from someone. My daughter was driving it at 50 mph and the truck slammed down into 1st gear causing her to almost collide with other vehicles on Route 29 highway. We looked up recall ( 19S07) and it was done at Ted Britt Ford, but is broken again. We called several Ford dealerships and they said theres nothing they can do because Ford isn't making any more replacement parts for this recall. They instructed us to go on ebay and buy a used part to put on, but no repair shops have the part or they refuse to put a refurbished one on due to liability. We do not feel this is safe and now we have a scared daughter that wont drive it, a truck we can't drive, or sell. We feel we have been treated unfairly. This is a FORD issue from the beginning and we have $14,000 invested in this vehicle. We have had to rent a vehicle for my daughter to get to college and work. We do NOT feel safe in this vehicle.
- Manassas Park, VA, USA
3.5L ecoboost timing chain failure at only 58,000 miles (code P0016 possible turbo problems TBD Front suspension springs are broken. All of these are common threads on many forums. Ford should be held accountable even though mine is 10 years old, the mileage is the issue. FWIW, they completely redesigned the engine a few years later, but never notified anyone to watch out for these common problems or offer a recall
- Exton, PA, USA
The contact owns a?2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and lost motive power. Additionally, the accelerator pedal went down to the floorboard when depressed. The vehicle service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the PCM. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
- Woodinville, WA, USA
Illuminated wrench light followed by malfunctioning speedometer, cruise control, & turn signal cancellation. Delayed and no gear shifting including an unexpected transmission downshift to 1st gear occurring at 40 mph: rear wheels locked up, engine revved to redline, had to put hazard flashers on and shut engine down in heavy moving traffic. Finally Check Engine/Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL); later reading P0720 code.
- Ormond Beach, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer stated the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.
- Katy, TX, USA
TEMPORARY DOWNSHIFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THE PART THEY NEED IS UNAVABLE. aBLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK IN MANUAL UNTIL THE PROBLEM BEGAN HAPPENING WHILE IN MANUAL, TRUCK IS NOT DRIVABLE.
- Roseburg, OR, USA
Traveling at 60mph in dry weather when suddenly my MIL (malfunction indicator light) briefly displayed and several dash information displays when blank or did not provide correct information, i.e speedometer when to zero. My transmission indicated that I went from 6th gear to 3rd gear. Fortunately the vehicle was still contollable and I went straight home. I restarted the vehicle and all information went back to normal. This is a well documented issue with certain Ford vehicles. NTSB campaign 19N01 currently applies to my vehicle; however, I am outside the mileage and age for Ford's extended warranty solution. I will need to pay for repairs once parts are available, if ever. I feel this a safety issue that will only get worse for customers that do not qualify for the Ford Customer Service Program remedy on this issue.
- Villa Rica, GA, USA
I had the Sudden Transmission Downshift Recall, 19S07, performed on my truck in 2022. The output speed sensors are well known to go out on these trucks. Instead of fixing the problem correctly, the 19S07 recall only programmed the transmission not to downshift rapidly. This takes care of one of the safety issues, but when the speed sensor inevitably breaks, it makes the vehicle extremely dangerous to drive. The transmission will get stuck in 1st gear, or sometimes 6th gear, or anything in between. The truck goes in to limp mode and restricts power to the transmission. I was trying to get onto interstate 94 and the truck was not speeding up. I almost got rear ended before quickly steering off of the road. There were no injuries but it was close. This issue now happens daily and I am not able to safely drive the vehicle. The truck shifts loudly and "bucks" forward when put into drive even with the brakes engaged. Ford refuses to fix this critical safety problem and there are thousands of Ford vehicles on the road with the same transmission lead frame, and same issue. Ford dealership confirmed that the Lead Frame and Output Speed Sensor Have gone out. Almost $2000 to repair this critical safety issue. I will be putting myself at risk by attempting to fix it myself, as I cannot afford the repair. Warning Lights I see include the check engine light, wrench light, AIRBAG light, the speed drops to zero, and the mileage drops to zero. The truck is EXTREMELY UNSAFE! This issue has happened over 15 times, starting November 2022 after I took it in for recall.
- Medina, MN, USA
The vehicle would down shift aggressively into first gear. The speedometer and gear displays would not function showing 0mph while driving. The vehicle would move through gears erratically. Driver and passengers would be jerked forward.The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Ford dealer. There were no indicator lights at the start of the issue. Indicator light appeared after multiple incidents spanning over a few months.
- Bucyrus, OH, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the powertrain malfunction warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic went to the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the transmission wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
- Castle Rock, CO, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the transmission downshifted from 7th to 6th gear, without warning. The contact pulled to the side of the road and shifted the vehicle into park(P) then back into drive(D). The contact stated that the transmission then selected 5th gear remained in 5th gear. The wrench warning light then illuminated. The contact stated that after arriving home, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to clear the codes and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the transmission continued to slip, causing the contact to continually clear the codes to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 10201087 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired due to the contact needing to clear the codes in order to drive the vehicle to the dealer; however, removing the trouble codes would prevent the dealer from performing the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.
- Naples, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine revved and the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to perform as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded leadframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
- Rochester, MN, USA
Sudden down shift while driving
- Sanford , NC, USA
I was running 65mph and my truck down shifted from 6th to 3rd. I called my dealer and they said they never heard of this problem so I called two more and can-??t get any answers. Glad no one was behind me.
- Columbus, KS, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and jerked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised him to take the vehicle to a transmission specialist. The vehicle was then taken to the transmission specialist, who diagnosed that the molded leadframe and wheel speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was included in the Customer Satisfaction Program: 16N02 (Molded Leadframe Extended Coverage) however, the mileage was over the warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 165,982.
- Fordsville, KY, USA
- Saint Augustine, FL, USA