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2.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
80,294 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Ford F-150 transmission problems

transmission problem

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2013 Ford F-150 Owner Comments

problem #17

Apr 032024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

6-speed automatic transmission shift issues. Car shifted from 6 to 1st gear while driving down the highway at over 60mph. Recall 19S07 remediation was completed previously, the reprogramming. Now the issues back and the vehicle randomly shifts to 1st gear while in other gears like 4,5,6 going over 40 mph. The issue occurs randomly and creates a major hazard with the vehicle dramatically slowing down until the car gets back to a proper gear. Ford states that the molded lead frame needs replaced and will cost over $1,100. The prior recall didn't fix the issue just delayed a future driving hazard with a cost to the driver.

- Cynthiana, KY, USA

problem #16

Mar 212024

F-150

  • miles
truck speedometer goes to 0. Slows down abruptly. Rpm goes way up. Was going from 45 to less than 10mph in a matter of seconds. Feels like the transmission automatically downshifts to a lower gear. Very dangerous. Seems to be quite a few of these incidents on you tube. Truck only has 11600 miles on it.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #15

Mar 112024

F-150

  • 152,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift out of 1st gear. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in 3rd gear. The wrench warning light and air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the entire dashboard screen was black. The contact stated her husband restarted the vehicle for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired yet. The failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.

- Mineral, VA, USA

problem #14

Jan 102024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Last week the Transmission downshifted from 6th gear to third gear and would not shift to first gear when I stopped at a red light. Proceeded in third gear and vehicle finally shifted to fifth gear and would not shift to 6th gear at road speed. At the onset this time, transmission in 6th gear, at speed of 65 to 70, shifted hard into fifth gear and stayed there, wrench appeared on screen, speedometer went to zero and seat belt indicator light came on. I feel our safety was at risk, vehicle would not shift gears. After waiting a while I restarted vehicle and it ran properly. Two separate times when we were traveling on top of a mountain, vehicle threw wrench signal on screen and started vibrating excessively and lost power and went into limp mode. We turned engine off and after waiting a while, we restarted vehicle and it operated properly. My wife almost had a heart attack. Problem was reported to Riverside Ford, Macon, Ga., where we purchased the vehicle. They replied that nothing like this had been reported before and they did not know what the problem was. Random shifting problems continues to this day. There has been two recalls on transmission and I had not received information on this, possibly due to being the second owner. Currently only has 80,456 miles on odometer.

- Milledgeville, GA, USA

problem #13

Dec 202023

F-150

  • 220,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the transmission downshifted from 5th gear. The wrench light was illuminated. The contact slowed down, pulled off the roadway, and restarted the vehicle and was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

- Tenaha, TX, USA

problem #12

Dec 282023

F-150

  • 175,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle downshifted from 4th to 3rd gear. The check engine and wrench warning lights illuminated. The contact slowed down, pulled off the roadway and restarted the vehicle. The check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the transmission failed to shift out of 1st gear. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle and was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train) or 19V075000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

- Yucaipa, CA, USA

problem #11

Oct 242023

F-150

  • 157,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted to 1st gear. The contact struggled to get the vehicle to accelerate. The contact stated that the engine revved however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road and was able to drive 15 MPH in 1st gear to the residence. The stated that the failure recurred within 5-miles while driving at various speeds. The failure was intermittent. The contact stated that odometer and transmission coolant gauge would go to zero with the wrench symbol displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer nor a certified mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.

- North Fort Myers, FL, USA

problem #10

Apr 082023

F-150

  • miles
See attached document from complainant

- Yakima, WA, USA

problem #9

Sep 132023

F-150

  • 137,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was stuck in 5th gear. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle. Additionally, the contact turned the ignition key in the ignition switch until the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, and the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer related the failure to TSB Number: 16-0008; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

- Youngstown, OH, USA

problem #8

Dec 022022

F-150

  • miles
While operating this vehicle on 12/2/2022 at freeway speeds (55-60 MPS) in morning rush hour traffic, the truck exhibited a sudden and immediate downshift of the transmission from 5th to 1st gear. This caused my back tires to lock up and begin to slide, which caused me to momentarily lose control of the vehicle. The issue appears to be loss of communication with the speed sensor that selects and moves the gears. This nearly caused an accident in morning rush hour traffic as I lost control of the vehicle. This issue appears to be related to Ford Recall@ 19S07, and I reached out to my dealership on 12/2/2022 and was told that they would research and call me back. On 12/5/2022 I called the Ford Recall/Customer service line for more information. At that time, I was told it had already been serviced and they only stand behind the recall work for 12 months and to "keep my receipts since there was a pending NHTSA legal action" for potential reimbursement.

- Woods Cross, UT, USA

problem #7

Apr 012022

F-150

  • 102,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and 55 MPH, the transmission inadvertently downshifted to first gear, causing the vehicle to abruptly slow down. The contact almost lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. There were no failure codes retrieved and no service was performed. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the Manufacturer Extended Service Campaign Number: 19N01 and NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train) however, the failure occurred. The failure mileage was 102,000.

- Eagle River, AK, USA

problem #6

Sep 072022

F-150

  • miles
My truck is subject to NHTSA Recall No. 19V075000 (Ford recall no. 19507), involving a defect which causes the transmission to suddenly and without warning downshift from a high gear into first gear, at highway speeds. This happened to me driving on an interstate highway. Fortunately, at the time i was traveling at only approximately 40 mph. The wheels locked causing the truck to skid suddenly, and I was able to shift to neutral and drive to the shoulder. I brought the truck to Livermore Ford dealership for repair on August 31, 2022. They acknowledged the truck was subject to recall, wrote up a repair order. They claimed to have reprogrammed the transmission. Several days later, the same shifting problems occurred. I returned the truck to the same dealership on September 7, 2022. Again they acknowledged the truck was subject to a safety recall for this problem, and said they had to order a part to repair the recalled defect. The part was referred to as a "molded lead frame" which apparently contains the defective module which erroneously reads the vehicle speed a 0 mph even though it may actually be traveling at highway speed. They told me the part would be delivered in early October, and advised me not to drive the vehicle. The work order specifically states: "DO NOT RECOMMEND DRIVING THE VEHICLE." I contacted the dealership on October 6, and they advised me that the part had not arrived and they had no idea when it would be delivered because the manufacturer would not ship parts until there were more claims. I filed a complaint with Ford (case # CAS 38990194) on October 7, and was advised I would be contacted with updates. I have called and emailed numerous times, and Ford has not returned any calls or responded to my emails. In essence, Ford has failed and/or refused to repair the recalled safety defect on my truck, and is refusing to provide me with any information as to why it has not been repaired and when it will be repaired.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

problem #5

May 032022

F-150

  • 167,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted to 1st gear. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway, turned off, and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained normal operation. The powertrain malfunction indicator light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission fluid was leaking fluid into the transmission main connector inside the transmission bounce shift and caused a short circuit in the transmission. The dealer informed the contact that there was a frame necessary to re-seal the connectors that needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

- Sonora, CA, USA

problem #4

Oct 132021

F-150 8-cyl

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-159 with 125000 miles. The contact was driving about 25 mph when the vehicle downshifted to 1st gear. The contact was able to pullover and put the vehicle in park to reset the transmission. This failure happened several times. The contact stated that now when the failure happen the vehicle do not get out of first gear. The contacts vehicle was not included in recall (19V433000 Unexpected Transmission Downshift). The vehicle was taken to her local dealer but the vehicle was not repaired since it was not included in the recall. Friend had it repaired.

- Riverview, FL, USA

problem #3

Jun 152020

F-150

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission remained stuck in 3rd gear. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road, where he attempted several times to switchgear until the transmission responded. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring and the vehicle would also frequently downshift to first gear while driving. The contact also stated that whenever he would attempt to reverse the vehicle, the transmission would hesitate to respond, and the vehicle would remain neutral for a short period. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

- Brooklyn Center, MN, USA

problem #2

Jan 212021

F-150 8-cyl

  • miles
Driving down the road 60 miles an hour truck will shift to First very dangerous I've had the reprogram done didn't do nothing I would like my truck to be fixed I make payments on this [XXX] thing and I want it to run as it should INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Muldrow, OK, USA

problem #1

May 262021

F-150

  • miles
This complaint is about a known issue with certain Ford Vehicles related to the transmission molded leadframe. On May 26, 2021, I was accelerating onto a highway when my transmission downshifted from 4th gear to 1st gear and my speedometer and tachometer failed. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely and when re-started, the speedometer and tachometer came back up and the vehicle was driveable again. The next night, I experienced the same thing only I was in a parking lot and was again able to safely pull my vehicle over. I was not able to get an appointment at my local dealer until June 10th at which point they confirmed it was the leadframe and subject to the extended warranty. My complaint is that Ford was allowed to take the easy way out and wait for a failure of the faulty leadframe as opposed to this being a recall with proactive replacement. In my instance, I was not traveling at a high rate of speed. However, I was planning on taking the truck on a road trip on May 29th where if that had happened I would not have been so lucky. This issue is dangerous and needs to be under a full recall, not an extended warranty.

- Huntersville, NC, USA

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