general problems of the 2015 Ford F-150 - part 2

Was driving my truck to work and all of a sudden it down shifted from gear 6 to gear 4. Then through up the wrench icon on dash. Would not come out of 4th gear. Code was p0720. Output shaft speed sensor. Once code was cleared, it was ok again for about 20 miles then did it again.

Truck is shifting into low gear while at highway speed cause load thump or bang.

Rough shift in 4th gear . . Transmission bangs going in and out of 4 th gear . . There's been news reports your investigating this issue and that it could possibly cause the transmission to lock up at highway speeds.

Transmission slipping and bangs into and out of gears downshifts without doing anything when transmission services there was lots of metal fragments on the magnet2 no change and after having transmission reprogrammed no change.

Truck goes into first gear shifts automatically at any speed.

My vehicle, a 2015 Ford f150. Xlt 3. 5 ecoboost 4x4 supercrew has been downshifting intermittently while under load. This has almost caused me to wreck my truck as it has gone from 5th gear at 65 mph to suddenly 1st gear causing the rear drive axle to lock up momentarily on the freeway. This has also happened while accelerating onto the freeway where it will go from 3rd or 4th gear under hard acceleration to suddenly slam back into 1st gear. After this happens it will almost always go back to 3rd gear and will not shift up or down. The only solution I’ve found is to pull over, turn the truck off, remove the key and restart the truck. It will then drive normal for some time until it happens again. I was told by Ford that” OH yeah, it’s your transmission lead frame/ output speed sensor”. If Ford knows about this safety issue, why are they not fixing it on their dime. This is obviously a known issue, but I guess some people will have to lose their lives before Ford will fix this.

Molded lead frame sudden downshifts to first third or fifth gear would have to pull over to the side of the road/highway and shut the truck off and restart it to get it to go away it went from happening every 50-75 miles to the point where it would happen every 1-5 miles or less when it would down shift to first gear it would lock the rear wheels and almost caused me to get in multiple accidents happened right after I bought the truck 1/27/26 all the way until 3/02/26 when I was forced to get it fixed so I could drive the truck properly.

The transmission will sporadically shift hard and make a squeal noise on acceleration and deceleration between 20 and 50 mph. Yes it's available for inspection. It has never stopped completely so the risk factor is unknown. Not reported to dealer or independent mechanic at this time nor has it been inspected by the manufacturer or government agency. There are no warning lights dash messages ever displayed.

Transmission downshifting at highway speed, started to stall, went to limp mode had to manual shift to get to exit.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in fourth or fifth gear, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact shifted the transmission into neutral(n) and came to a stop at the traffic light before starting to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA action number: ea26001 (power train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Truck began reviving at high idle after throwing a check engine light, then wrench light as I was driving. I was able to safely get off the road. Shut it down wouldn't restart. I let it sit for 4 hrs, it started then I began driving again as there was no indication of an issue before. At 50mph it happened again. Truck began reviving at recline, check engine and wrench light. Shut it down again, and this process of restarting again hours later as nothing was wrong is still going on, 3 yrs of it. Check engine codes that do come up when it begins again all point to speed sensor and leadframe. Someone said check cam sensors but have no check engine on them at all, only leadframe issues that abruptly occur out the blue. When it happens I can driving at any speed and first thing that happens is the throttle revs to redline and truck begins shifting abnormal, check engine, wrench, shutdown(thankfully), then hours again now indication of an issue! when I get the truck shut off and off the road, which I had it towed 7 times, show p705,706,707 codes all pertaining to leadframe. Please for the sake NY family and many others recall the 2015-2017 f150s for this $2000 electrical sensor replacement that is putting lives in jeopardy.

I was driving down the road at 45mph and the vehicle suddenly shifted into 1st gear and rapidly slowed down. A malfunction indicator came on, I shut the vehicle off thinking it was a glitch, then the vehicle wouldn't restart. This occured in midday traffic, which could've caused a crash. Never had any previous issues with the vehicle. It cost me $1854 to have this repaired at the Ford dealer, they stated the lead frame connector had failed.

Was driving at 50mph on hiway, all the sudden truck has loss of power and engine shut off, coasted down to stop, put truck in par, stared the car and drove another 5 miles and same thing happened again. No warning lite, no error messages was present when shut off happened nor during obs scan at later time was. When second shut off happened there was a shift down happened. Not sure if the transmission speed sensor has something to do with engine shut off.

My truck started going into neutral while going in reverse, would rev up going forward and go into neutral or limp mode.

Transmission unexpectedly downshifts to first gear then goes to neutral automatically. Requires driver to pull over and shut engine off for 5 minutes then restart and continue normal operation. In addition to this issue the 3-4 shift lags then slams into gear.

My truck abruptly downshifts to a lower gear, first or second, without any warning on the freeway. Seems like wheels lock up momentarily. There is nothing that notifies me before this happens. Very random occurrence but also very dangerous.

While driving at normal speeds, the transmission hesitates and pops when shifting into 4th gear. The vehicle slows down unexpectedly before shifting and will suddenly downshift without warning. This causes abrupt deceleration and creates a safety concern, especially at highway speeds. The issue occurs intermittently and without driver input. Even when I’m in normal gears it will downshift and cause me to slow and lose control even when I am not breaking. It occurs at just 35 mph- highway speeds.

Hard down shift while driving locking up rear wheels almost cause an accident has happen 3 times now no trouble code can’t figure out what causing engine to down shift extremely hard have not driven truck long distances because of incidents lucky all three times it has happend no one was behind me the most recent time on 1/3/26. I ended up in the ditch with no damages to truck.

Uncommanded downshift at highway speed causing sudden deceleration / loss of vehicle stability. Has happened twice, once in 2020 and again in 2025. Typically in slower than highway speeds when traffic is moderate to high and traffic starts to clear. Accelerator is pressed to return to highway speeds and the vehicle downshifts suddenly. Nearly caused collision from the rear vehicles both times.

The transmission unexpectedly downshifted while merging onto another ramp onto interstate with people behind me it was in 4th then it downshifted to 1 thankfully nothing bad happened during that time. But there has also been times when merging onto the freeway way where it would do the same when about to merge on as well it’s happened a few different times.

Sudden downshift and locking in lower gear, not shifting especially in tow haul mode but somtimes just driving in standard mode.

1. System failed: power train (transmission). Component failed: the 6r80 6-speed automatic transmission, specifically the internal lead frame and the direct drum. Inspection: no, the failed unit was replaced on December 19, 2025, but itemized diagnostic reports and repair invoices from both a Ford dealer and an independent shop are available for inspection. 2. The vehicle experienced sudden, unexpected downshifting and a temporary loss of power while in motion. These incidents occurred frequently and randomly, particularly while accelerating or traversing inclines, creating "unsafe driving scenarios" where the vehicle could have been rear-ended or lost traction due to abrupt gear changes. Furthermore, the vehicle eventually entered "limp mode," where it would "buck" during shifts and fail to accelerate under load, leaving the driver vulnerable in traffic. 3. Yes, by both. Independent center: super tech automotive confirmed on December 11, 2025, that the transmission line pressure dropped from 158 psi to 20 psi under load, causing the vehicle to go into "limp mode". Dealer: south west Ford service department verified the concerns on December 16, 2025, documenting a "torque converter shudder" and "direct drum failure" with "excessive metal debris in fluid". 4. Yes. The vehicle was inspected by a manufacturer-authorized dealer, south west Ford service department, on December 16, 2025 (service advisor ryan forbis; transmission specialist 'dietrich'). 5. Yes. Symptoms: the symptoms first appeared in August 2025 as a "sudden, temporary loss of power or unexpected down-shifting". Warning lamps: initially, no warning lights or error codes were produced, which prevented early detection during multiple diagnostic attempts. Later symptoms: on December 11, 2025, the ses (service engine soon) light finally appeared when the truck entered "limp mode". Prior to the total failure, the transmission also exhibited "harsh/jerky downshifts" and would "hang up in gear".

While in 6th gear driving on the highway at 70 mph the truck downshifted to 3rd and drastically decelerated. When this happened the instrument display went from having all 6 gear numbers viable to only 1 - 3. It had to be put into manual mode and shifted into 6th manually. This happens twice in the same trip.

Experiencing sudden hard shifting with the 6r80 transmission. Have had wheels lock up once. Issues with the lead frame as well.

While operating on my daily commute at approximately 40-50 mph, the vehicle suddenly downshifted from 5th gear to 3rd, with no throttle input change. Following a commanded full stop of the vehicle, upon accelerating, the vehicle seemed to be slipping into each gear. A short duration later, the vehicle prompted me with an orange wrench symbol on the instrument panel and the phrase "see manual. " the vehicle would then only shift down as low as 3rd gear and appeared to be in a limp mode with no 1st or 2nd gear until shut off and restarted. I then took it to my local Ford dealer and had it diagnosed as a "p0722, pinpoint oss sensor failure. " it was repaired with a new lead frame on December 10th, 2025.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford f150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v237000 (powertrain). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal light or stop sign and the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle felt sluggish while on first, second, and third gears. Once the vehicle hit fourth gear, the vehicle would function as intended. The failure occurred every time the vehicle stopped. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

I own a 2015 Ford F-150 with approximately 175,000 miles. I have experienced intermittent hard shifting at low speeds for many years. During normal driving, the transmission occasionally shifts very harshly, producing a loud knocking noise and causing the truck to jerk unexpectedly. I do not recall the exact first occurrence, but the hard shifting has been happening since I have owned the truck. I never thought much of it until recently reading about a transmission investigation for similar F-150 models. In December 2025, I experienced a particularly severe hard shift. During this incident, the truck jerked extremely hard and the powertrain warning light momentarily illuminated. This felt unsafe and unexpected. I had the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic, but no diagnostic trouble codes were found at the time of inspection. Despite this, the hard shifting continues to occur intermittently. This issue is a safety concern due to the sudden and harsh movement of the vehicle without warning.

My drive shaft snapped off of my differential while driving on I-20 at 70mph causing me to lose all ability to accelerate. My differential gears broke now my truck is unable to drive safely.

After a Ford recall on software update for transmission, the transmission is now starting to fail and downshift for no apparent reason, causing the rears wheels to lock up.

Transmission shift randomly into second gear.

The truck often shifts from 6th gear down to 1st or second gear, sometimes at highway speeds and all warning light come on. It sometimes resolved itself upon starting it again, but seems to affect the throttle body. When the electrical system resets, you can hear a click from the throttle body indicating that the valve reset when the computer reset. We also have been affected by intense suffering from the transmission that started about the same time, around 2019 and just over 100,000 miles, after the warranty expired. Both the limp mode and shuddering seem to be results of the trs signal. I have replaced the battery and throttle body (that repair was first suspected to be the sensor) at lakeland Ford, then later at midas in north lakeland I had work done to the wheel mounts and other axle/wheel relate repairs. In total we have spent approximately $4000 on repairs caused by the improper trs signal. In addition, we have had at least 4 near accidents caused by the faulty signature. I called Ford with no solution, such as a loaner very, for safety before the recall can be fixed.

On [xxx], I was driving the vehicle and accelerating onto the [xxx] freeway from an on-ramp in northern phoenix, arizona. During acceleration, the truck suddenly and violently downshifted, producing an abrupt jerking motion that forcibly displaced the vehicle out of the accelerating gear and into a lower gear without warning or driver input. The incident required us to exit the freeway and pull over. The event caused a momentary but pronounced loss of smooth propulsion at a critical merge point on to the freeway, creating an obvious risk of loss of control and collision with other motorists. The sudden lock-up and downshift, spike in rpms, and deceleration were entirely inconsistent with normal operation and were objectively dangerous under highway-speed conditions. My passenger and I were jerked forward into our seatbelts. After this incident, I had the vehicle's transmission checked at a small shop, which stated they did not find any codes or issues, but recommended a full transmission rebuild at a cost of several thousand dollars. Finding no diagnostic codes or issues, I continued using my truck until it unexpectedly failed the following month on a freeway. In December 2025, while I was exiting a freeway in mesa, arizona, the F-150’s 6r80 transmission downshifted again without being prompted, causing similar critical safety concerns. But this time the transmission was stuck in gear and was unsafe to operate on the highway or city streets. It had to be towed. A repair shop determined that the output speed sensor was found faulty at all times with diagnostic trouble codes of p720, p0722, and p2535, requiring complete replacement of the leadframe assembly. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this is consistent with other recalls that Ford has issued related to the failure of its 6r80 transmissions in F-150s and similar vehicles for years 2011-2014, which are known to Ford to have a risk of crashing due to the sudden downshifting concerns. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia).

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shifted hard into gear. The contact also stated that the gear shift indicator displayed the incorrect gear. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000. The VIN was not available.

I have had 2 instances of my f150 downshifting at highway speeds to 2nd gear while driving. I was not towing a trailer, just driving normally in both cases on my daily commute to work. The first instance was resolved by coming to a stop, shifting to park, and shifting into drive again. The second instance, I released the accelerator completely, shifted the gear selector to neutral and back to drive while coasting and it seemed to correct. Neither have led to loss of control but it is startling and not a great thing for the longevity and safety of my vehicle. I see how it could become a problem. After instance number 1, I thought perhaps it was a fluke. I now have learned that there have been prior model years of this truck transmission that also have had issues and I am more concerned that this get resolved. I now plan to have vehicle looked at by a dealership in the near future. First incident was early September and second incident was oct. 20, 2025.

Intermittent noticeable harsh downshift in the lower gears. Not sure exactly what gears due to the intermittent nature of the symptoms. The symptoms are impossible to be replicated on demand. At this time no lights or fault codes have presented. The vehicle is used for personal light duty passenger transportation. It has been happening for about six months. The transmission oil filter and fluid were replaced 6 months ago. When the oil pan was down, it was inspected for excessive debris/sediment. In the opinion of a family technician was determined that no geartrain/clutch failure is present. The vehicle has 175k miles and it appears to be the original transmission. No other repair attempt has been made. Suspect the issue may be related to the component in the transmission called the lead frame.