1,212 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Ford F-150 cite power train, 43% of all 2,796 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.
“At about [XXX] [XXX], Tuesday, I was N/B on [XXX] , my speed was approximately 60 mph. All of a sudden, my brakes locked up as if I slammed on by brakes. Although a safe distance behind my, vehicles behind me had to swerve out of my way due to the sudden breaking. After pulling over, I checked the undercarriage, thinking I might have hit something, but everything was clear. Not knowing what had just happened I got back onto the highway and when I reached a speed of approximately 65 mph it did it again causing my truck to swerve into the oncoming lane of traffic. I still didn't know what was going on because there were no physical signs indicating such and no warning lights illuminated. After pulling over once again I called a transmission shop and explained what had just happed and asked if they could look at my truck to see what was going on. They told me it would be about three months before they can get me in, but said they know what exactly had happened. When I asked them to please tell me what had occurred, they told me the transmission suddenly went from 5th gear down to 1st gear due to a "Transmission Molded Lead Frame issue" I had no idea what he was…”
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the speedometer went to 0 MPH, and the transmission failed to shift out of 1st gear. The contact shifted into neutral and shifted back to drive; however, the transmission still failed to upshift into second gear. The check engine warning light and the service vehicle soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the molded lead frame was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.”
“While driving my vehicle speedometer goes to zero which no recognition of speed. If brought to a stop I can’t get out of first gear. Ford issued a “Customer Satisfaction Program 19N01” related to the 6R80 transmissions, Sudden Transmission Downshift. This “Customer Satisfaction” should have been a non expiring recall. The check engine sometimes flicks on but does not stay on or show a code. Issue is intermittent and lasts 10-15 min until vehicle recognizes it’s not incapable of shifting. Given this severely limiting malfunction I highly recommend the recall be extended indefinitely to make sure these vehicles are fixed properly.”
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. The battery and the powertrain warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the lead frame and speed sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 211,580.”
“Transmission downshift in low gear at highway speeds, almost lost control, afraid of any transmission damage, looked online for other ford p/ups with same 6speed transmission problems and of course they are millions of recalls but my vin # isn’t included, called ford motor co, seems like they are just passing the buck , I know it’s the same exact problem, wondering if I should go to local news station to report it as an ongoing issue, and I would like this investigated !!!!”
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and accelerating, the vehicle started to lose motive power and unexpectedly downshifted to 1st or 2nd gear. The wrench warning light was illuminated, and the message “Service Vehicle Soon” was displayed. Additionally, instrument cluster failed to display safety information. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved a code for the control shift sensor fault. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.”
Showing 6 of 1,212 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.