7.3
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $230
- Average Mileage:
- 13,500 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 35 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (26 reports)
- cpu update (4 reports)
- pcm reprogram update (4 reports)
- rebuild transmission (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.
The truck started downshifting hard just after 20k miles, we brought it to the dealer, CPU was flashed and the trans driver memory reprogrammed. The problem came back shortly after, flashed again/reprogrammed etc.
The issue came back a 3rd time, brought the truck in and the dealer concluded there was something inside wrong with the transmission. Clutch plates for 3rd and 4th gear were worn out, parts were ordered and the transmission was completely rebuilt. No issues again since.
- Bryan J., Hillsboro, US
This problem HAS been reported on this site. Just like other people it only does it when I am hauling my trailer with some firewood (well under max load) and in tow-haul mode only. Just like other suckers, dealer wants me to reproduce with my load, and further damage my drivetrain. It felt like it was going to rip out the drive shaft. Now I have a vibration, no doubt from drive-train damage. Dealer says "maybe" it's covered under warranty. What a bunch of BS. Didn't so much as ask VIN # to check for recalls or technical service bulletins. These idiots have done more damage to my ford vehicles than they have fixed.They will NEVER touch my vehicles again, as they almost killed me with one of their stunts. I have 3 friends that filed complaints with hq, and when I called to file complaint against this dealer, hq said I was first complaint, which was a flat out lie and I knew it.
They even charged a friend to do 3 front end alignments of a vehicle that "can't" have that alignment done without special equipment, which that dealer does NOT have, and did not refund customer who got flat out ripped off and lied to, and friend had to keep buying tires that were prematurely wearing out.
I called my other dealer that sold me my '93 Bronco, and they are checking with their transmission guy and checking VIN for any known issues. I should not have to pay to have this mfg problem identified and resolved while it is damaging my drive train. I will be calling Ford HQ today to escalate this issue before it kills me or somebody else when I'm towing. It is frightening when it happens it is so bad. I added missing max tow package and am afraid to use it for fear of any more drive train damage while Ford scratches their head. Transmission also "lurches" sometimes when starting from slight roll, also reported. How can Ford be oblivious to these reported issues, other than they don't want to cough up the labor for their mistake. It's a sure fire method of losing loyal customers such as myself, a 40+ years loyal Ford customer.
- mtarnows, Mays Landing, US
Very hard downshift when towing 5500 lb trailer.Engine revs up to over 5 grand, feels and sounds like engine is going to blow up. Went from 50 mph to a dead stop as if you were slamming on the brakes. Thank God it wasn't in the winter or that anyone was be hind me. Only happens when towing. It also won't upshift when it should. All different speeds. What a piece of Junk. It's funny that with all these complaints with the 6 speed tran
my dealer says they haven't seen any problems and they want me to haul my camper in with the hopes that I can repeat the problem. I pray that nobody dies in the process.. I told my dealer about the unsafe situation and they still want the camper hooked up. It will be on their ass if anything happens. I'm just a bit frustrated as you can see. I will keep posting the results. Taking it into the dealer wed to see if they can do anything. If not there's always the lemon law.
- Douglas S., Deer River, US
I love this truck, but I have noticed it's transmission downshifts from 5th to 4th pretty rough when decelerating around about 30mph when it shifts. It kinda feels like you're running over a bump or something when it downshifts, like the whole truck kinda jerks a bit. While it is kinda startling, I just thought it was maybe normal since my previous Volkswagen did a similar hard downshift so I thought it was unavoidable. And it only seems to be from 5th-4th.
Upon browsing others' complaints, it seems this is indeed not normal, and that a PCM module update usually solves this, so perhaps I will take the truck in and get the update, and report back as to it's effectiveness.
- jldude84, Panama City, US
Told service department repeatedly when I took vehicle in for service but they did not document nor attempt to diagnose issue. From reading blogs they should have identified it from TSB stating ECM needed to be reporgramed but Auto Nation refused to do anything.
It clunks through drive shaft and down shifts really hard like being hit from behind 5-4 -3-2-1. Not solely 5-4 and 3- 2 like other complaints.
- Marlin W., San Diego, CA, US
This truck has a tendency to downshift hard at times during normal driving. There is no pattern to when or why it odes it, it just does. It also seems a little sloppy at start and stop almost like the torque converter is slipping a little at take off.
I think there is a service bulletin to correct it, but typical of most car manufacturers; the dealer has to witness/observe the problem before they can fix it even though it is just a reprogram of the computer. I still have plenty of warranty remaining on it, so hopefully Ford will do the right thing before it expires.
- ryanparker101, Cross City, FL, US
Truck has a very hard downshift when going into 4th gear. Have other people experienced this as well ? Would this have long term impact on the life of the tranny ?
- Adam D., Goldsboro, NC, US
I have a 2015 XLT Crew with 2.7 eco and for almost a year I have been dealing with the harsh downshift from 5th to 4th gear primarily but it has done it in other gears as well. The dealer has reflashed the PCM 4 times and problem goes away for 2-4 weeks and then comes back. I'm now having other funky hard shifts or clunks when I move from F-R or R-F. I also have the situation where upon stopping (stop sign/light), when I take off there is a clunk feel as if I did a neutral drop under low RPM's. Love the truck, want this fixed for good or the family goes to all foreign vehicles as never a problem like I'm having.
- Mike P., Wauseon, OH, US
I have the same issue with my 2015 F150. Hard Downshift around 30 mph. I took it to the dealership who stated they have not heard of this issue. So... I started searching the web and found this site. Thanks to all who posted here particularly with the remedy. I will contact the dealership again with the info I found here. Hopefully I will get a fix for the problem as well.
Update from Jan 3, 2017: Update... Just had time to get my truck to the dealership today. They applied the TSB update and the issue seems to be resolved. Drives and shifts like new again. Just a quick note: I was told that the TSB 15-0142 listed in this thread has been replaced with TSB 16-0015. Hope that helps.
- Robert K., Douglasville, GA, US
had the problem with the downshift (5 to 4)keep getting worse,after reading some of the complaints and remedies i took it to the dealer and they reprogrammed it,problem is now fixed and truck runs 100% better,smoother shifts and all round better ride.
- pirat, Brampton, ON, Canada
Didn't know that this hard downshift around 5th to 4th gear was an issue. I just assumed it was normal, but after reading other posts on this site as well as others, I now realize it's a problem. Will visit the dealership and ask about TSB 16-0015, reprogramming the PCM. What a pisser. Didn't think this truck was going to be such a PITA.
- Nicole R., Livonia, MI, US
shifting from 5th to 4th is hard! the entire car shudders
I've been experiencing this hard shift from 5th to 4th for quite some time now. When I first felt it I was like ... what the **#@ was that? I plan to have it looked at Ford dealership this week. Ahhhhh frustrating!
- Boomer S., Portland, OR, US
I've noticed the heavy shifting both up and down. Down happens very infrequently. The rough up shift however I can replicate almost every time. I don't think it'll lead to a serious issue, but time will tell.
- beetfarmer89, Arlington, WA, US
Having hard down shift between 5-4 and 4-3, seems to be happening more frequent. I tow a boat quite a bit 1800lbs total weight of the boat empty, coming to on & off ramps the truck will downshift pretty hard. Dealership has reprogrammed PCM on the truck a few times but has not corrected the issue. This issues happens while the truck is warmed up and about an hour of driving. Never happens when cold, and with and without the boat behind me.
- Jay S., Brantford, ON, Canada
I have the same issue as everyone else is having with their 2015 Ford F150 with the downshift. I notice mine when I'm coming to a stop and all of a sudden the transmission down shifts really hard, jerking the truck.
- Kris K., The Colony, TX, US
I was towing, for the first time, a deck boat with surge brakes. As I applied the brakes to slow down from approx. 55mph the truck suddenly dropped from 5th gear to 3rd causing the engine to scream like it was going to blow. As others have described "I thought I had hit something or just been hit myself". I pulled over a checked the truck and trailer and all seemed fine.
When I started to pull up to highway speed again the truck wouldn't shift past 4th gear until I took it off of tow/haul mode. This has happened with every trailer I have towed. I no longer tow using the tow haul mode thinking maybe I needed to program the type of trailer each time etc. Yesterday I was driving in the city in sport mode and the exact same thing happened. As I started to slow down it dropped multiple gears again.
I am not a mechanic but I know that this can't be good for the motor or the transmission. I will be taking the truck back to my dealership to give them a fair chance at fixing this. I have owned more then 10 ford trucks in my life and with just getting over the 5.4 cam phaser issues and the rust in the crew cab corners of my 2010, with only 60,000.00 miles on it and we won't even mention my Ford Ranger transmission troubles back in the day, or the paint washing off on my 1988 f-150 this could possibly be my last Ford truck ever. Are you listening Ford???
- brianmb, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
I purchased my F-150 new in 2015. Over time I noticed a really hard, violent downshift from 5th to 4th. I found several complaints about the same issue on this forum. Based on some of the results others have experienced, I took my truck to the dealer who said they could not replicate the problem. I went for a drive with them and also could not replicate. I then told them about the TSB 16-0015 (which I found on this forum...thank you MDCarlson!). They checked for the TSB and found, sure enough, there was one for my truck. Question is, why in the heck did I, the customer, have to find and give this information to them, the "experts" in order to get it fixed??!! If I had not been an informed customer, they would have sent me on my way having done nothing!...UGH!
- purcell8, Boca Raton, FL, US
When driving down the road under 30 mph and letting the truck coast to a stop it will roughly down shift
- soup31314, Laconia, NH, US
Dave here with my ford POS, Im having the same hard shifting under 50mpr up and down shifting. Ford cant duplcate the problem as of 3, months ago. started at 2300 mile now its at 8k it does it just about every shift ..... so now let them tell me they cant duplcate it.
Also now the chrome on my grill is flaking off and and the brakes feel spongey.
To top it all off on the way home last night a small stone was kicked up from the car infront of me and cracked my windsheild about 5" by time i got home it was 10" to the passanger end of the windshield. cheap glass to save a few lbs ant worth it.. now i have a $500 + to put out due to my $1000 deductible..
for a new front windshiels...anybody else have chrome or windshield related problems ?
- David G., Palmerton, PA, US
Had this problem at 45000 miles and was covered under warranty (with diff repair that was covered). When slowing down and speeding back up I would get a hard shift, so hard it feels like someone hit the back of the truck. Took my truck to a different dealer and they say a new update is out and will cost $125 plus $90 just to look at the truck. No fault codes and Ford will not pay. Last Ford I will buy.
- Shawn V., Greenville, US