general problems of the 2016 Ford F-150 - part 2

Going down the hwy 6th gear the transmission will go from 6th gear lit up on dash down to 1st gear lit up. Hasn’t engaged in 1st gear (yet) then goes back to 6th gear. No warning lights on the dash.

I was driving home and the truck started to shift very harshly and had died at a stoplight , I put it into park and restarted it and the engine light came on tried to put it into drive and it had jumped forward very rough as soon as I did, started driving again and then the truck shifted into 5th gear and would not shift out of 5th gear at all was very slowly leaving from stop signs and the high speed fans had turned on and ran the entire rest of the time. Causing very irratic shifting where at times it would down shift and skid the tires.

I was driving down the road with the cruise set at 60 mph when I came over the top of a hill and I started to decend down the hill if felt like my truck had down shifted and the back tires locked up and screeched a little bit then a big bang happened and had no more drive gear as I hit the gas it just reved the motor up and didn’t move. Upon further inspection I pulled the rear differential cover off and my spider gears and the shaft holding the gears in place was snapped in 2 different places, chips in the gears. My transfer case chain was snapped in half and my transmission had hard shift from first to second gear and a loud buzzing noise. . I took the truck to my mechanic and hooked a scanner up to it and took it for a test run. As it was driving a sensor was telling the truck to shift into park as it was shifting from first to second or second to third causing a hard shift and buzzing noise and eventually losing all connectivity to the transmission and internals as well. I have sense replaced the whole rear axel, transfer case myself with used parts and is currently in the shop swapping transmissions as I needed my vehicle to continue working. Safety of myself and or others was definitely at risk when my rear tires locked up the rear end could have slid out cause me to wreck and possibly wreck into someone else. There was also no warning lights or anything on my dash before this incident occurred.

Transmission failure resulting in replacing transmission. Vehicle was shuddering when driving. This happened multiple times causing excessive shaking when driving on the hwy.

I know there is an ongoing investigation for f150s years 2015 to 2017 with the six speed automatic transmission. I just wanted to report that I've been having similar issues with my transmission, especially when 4 x 4 is enabled, it seems to worsen the problem. I've had unusual and unexpected shifting shifting. It's almost as if the gears are hiccoughing. I do remember they were having one issue on the highway upon accelerating where it dropped a few years, almost lags, but then came back. Like I said, it worsens in 4 x 4 and especially during hard accelerations, that is worth, I would emphasize the most. My biggest issue is upon hard accelerating. The gears slam, is the best way I could describe it. It's a noticeable and loud, slamming noise that happens when the gearshift from 1st to 2nd into third I haven't tried pushing it past fourth on hard acceleration I'll usually let off because it's such a loud slam, and noticeably shakes the vehicle.

Transmission downshifted unexpectedly during normal driving .

The transmmission down shift when going 60 mph.

I’ve been having persistent issues with my transmission for some time now. It occasionally would have a hard shift or a lagged shift where it would rev high and not go into the next gear for a few second. This has been accompanied by an odd “clown honk” type sound whenever shifting from 3rd gear into 4th gear after the truck is warm. Sometimes it would get stuck in one gear or another or unable to shift to certain gears until it was shut off and reset. These problems are sometimes accompanied with each other and sometimes on their own. Not until recently did my transmission downshift on its own when I was going around 50-60mphs to first gear, throwing my back end out and almost causing me to crash. Luckily I was on open and empty road. This occurred sometime in December and it finally threw a code which it had not for any incident previously. This issue has not happened again since. Not only was the incident itself a case of deja vu but when I was able to have the code read, it was almost the exact same issue/code that I had with my previous truck, a 2013 Ford F-150. My 2013 Ford F-150 did the same exact thing, almost causing an massive accident as I was merging onto I-85 at 4:30 pm. This issue was recalled and fixed by Ford in the 2013 F-150 but has no correction for my current 2016 F-150. I believe the cause of this is a faulty lead frame and/or output speed shaft sensor on the 6r80 transmission from Ford. I’ve now had two of these power trains (5. 0/6r80) and both have had problems occasionally up until around 120k miles then the problems become consistent and the downshifting issue started which throws the code/is the real dangerous issue. I have reported the issue to Ford through a dealer and called the customer support line but since there is no open recall on my specific VIN for this issue they are unable to offer assistance. The truck is open for inspection and has the code stored. This can be a very dangerous issue and needs to be addressed.

While decelerating from approximately 80 mph to 65 mph under very light throttle, the transmission in my vehicle unexpectedly shifted into 1st gear for a brief moment at highway speed, without any driver command. This caused a sudden and severe deceleration event and created a loss-of-control safety risk, especially in traffic. The transmission immediately corrected itself, however after the event the vehicle avoided normal downshifts and remained in higher gears (5th and 6th), indicating abnormal transmission behavior following the incident. No warning lights or messages were displayed at the time of the event. The vehicle is a 2016 Ford F-150 5. 0l equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission (6r80). The vehicle has approximately 91,100 miles. The automatic transmission was serviced at approximately 80,000 miles, including fluid and filter replacement only. No transmission flush was performed. The vehicle has a new agm battery, properly programmed to the vehicle. The vehicle was originally sold in canada and is currently operated in the united states. The defect occurred during normal on-road driving and presents a serious safety concern due to the possibility of unintended wheel lock or loss of vehicle control at highway speeds.

Gets stuck in 3rd and 5th gears randomly, on the interstate it will get stuck and won’t shift, we believe it is a lead frame issue, in town it won’t down shift out of third, we can turn it off and on and it can jump from first to third gear while not moving, sometimes it runs just fine, it does this at random.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, the contact was informed of an unstated fluid leak and that the rear brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to classic Ford of madison (6251 n ridge rd, madison, OH 44057); where additional repairs were performed. The dealer test-drove the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle was experiencing hard transmission shifts and shuddering. The dealer replaced the transmission, the front sway bar and links, and the stabilizing bar. Additionally, the transmission adaptive learning was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,867.

While traveling at interstate speed (75 mph) the transmission downshifted to 1st gear. Truck slowed down ad engine revved up. I was able to get to the shoulder and stop. I attempted to take off again and the truck would on up shift to 5th gear and displayed the wrench icon on the instrument cluster. Had truck towed home, about 90 miles. Was advised that the problem was the molded lead frame in the transmission.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shuddering. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with heater exchange failure and coolant intrusion in the transmission. The contact was informed that the heat exchanger needed to be replaced, and the transmission needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the heater exchange part was on back order. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the repair was performed. The contact visited a chat forum online, which advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that during the failure, there were no warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,200.

I've been reading the reports that there could be a recall for transmission issues in 2016 f150's. I've noticed similar issues as what's been reported. This is irregular shifting, down shifting hard at times, and irregular shifting in cruise control.

My transmission has unpredictable and harsh downshifts as well as downshifts to a to low of gear.

The truck will down shift while on the highway. There is also a hard shift from gears 4 through 6. But mostly between 5-6. There are also times when the rpm go high to change gears when taking off. Yes it has put my family and I at risk when it does a sudden down shift while cruising at highway speeds. I am taking it to a shop to be looked at. There was no warning, or lights before this happened.

Vehicle: 2016 Ford F-150, 5. 0l v8, 6r80 automatic transmission mileage at time of failure: approximately 118,000 miles approximate date of occurrence: late 2025 (late October to early November) while driving at speeds above approximately 40 mph, the transmission would randomly and unexpectedly downshift, causing a severe and sudden jerking motion accompanied by extremely high engine rpms. After several seconds, the transmission would violently upshift back into the original gear. Most occurrences involved the transmission downshifting one or two gears; however, on multiple occasions it downshifted from 6th gear directly to 2nd gear while traveling at highway speeds. This caused the rear wheels to momentarily lock up, creating a dangerous loss of traction and loss of vehicle control. These events occurred frequently, including during short trips, and were not related to driver input, braking, or road conditions. During these incidents, the check engine light and wrench warning light would illuminate. Diagnostic trouble code p0720 (output shaft speed sensor circuit) was consistently stored. This pointed to a failure within the transmission molded lead frame, which houses the output shaft speed sensor and related circuitry. Due to the severity of the symptoms and the known issues with the Ford 6r80 transmission molded lead frame, I replaced the molded lead frame myself. After replacement, the erratic downshifting, wheel lockup, warning lights, and fault codes were completely resolved. The vehicle has operated normally since the repair. Ford has a documented history of issues related to molded lead frame failures in 6r80 transmissions, including erratic shifting and loss of speed sensor data. This failure presented a significant safety risk, particularly at highway speeds, due to sudden and uncontrollable deceleration and momentary wheel lockup.

Vehicle showed wrench lite and went into safe mode when stopped went back to normal continue to drive and then vehicle showed wrench lite lite and engine check lite went into safe mode stopped vehicle and engine died would not restart checked codes received 706,708,and 1702. Prior to this no indication of problems.

Vehicle going downhill at about 65 mph shifted to lower gear and warning light (wrench image) comes on dash. Truck would not accelerate going up next hill for several seconds and then warning light went off and operation/acceleration resumed and secondary light also cleared this had occurred on another occasion but second warning light stayed on. Service station checked code and indicated that the code was for a sensor in the transmission which they cleared. Have had several instances of intermittent warning light and loss of acceleration which have cleared after several seconds or when I pulled off road and put it in park and then back in drive.

Transmission unexpectedly down shift.

Sudden downshift when going down a long hill while driving at highway speeds then applying brakes to slow down. Luckily no one was behind me because its like slamming on the brakes with no brake lights. I could have easily been rear ended or gone into oncoming traffic if it I was on wet snowy or icy roads. It's happened more than one time. Something needs to be done before someone is killed!.

I was driving down the highway and the transmission started shifting erratically and went to 3rd almost causing me to wreck. Check engine light and wrench icon came on and had to pull over immediately. Code says faulty transmission range sensor and lead frame are the cause.

The truck suddenly downshifted to 6th to 2nd gear on the highway. Engine rpm hit more than 7000. Transmission now grinds, shudders and slips. Almost caused a wreck. Hasn't been documented to anyway, just by word. Has not been inspected as there is no way to inspect. No warning before incident, transmission now grinds 4th to 3rd gear, shudders in every gear and slips.

Hard down shifting from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 1st. Lead frame needs replaced. Only 70,000 miles.

My 2016 Ford f150 started to harshly downshift non stop no matter how fast or slow I was going and on one occasion going 40 mph getting onto the highway the truck dropped into first gear and caused my wheels to lock up and in result I spun out on the onramp. I then brought the truck to a transmission shop and was told that my lead frame had officially caused my transmission to go out and unusable until a rebuild or replacement is done. Now leaving the truck sitting. This is absolutely ridiculous and an extreme safety issue especially when I have done the proper maintenance on time for the transmission for years. I was lucky to not have hit anybody or have gotten hit. This needs to be fixed my Ford ASAP.

While driving, the hill descent fault error would pop up on the instrument panel, the truck would begin to shake, and the gas pedal would no longer work. I would have to pull over, shut the vehicle off for a few minutes and restart it. This happened multiple time while driving on the highway and in town. After sitting in the driveway for while trying to get repairs scheduled, the issue got worse, and I would have to pull over every one to 2 minutes due to this issue occuring.

I was driving my 2016 Ford f150 in ventura California on August 29th 2025 when my throttle began to accelerate on its own after taking my foot off the gas pedal. My truck sped up out of control, I almost lost control of the vehicle and crashed. Luckily I was able to gain control and get it into neutral and then into park. My trucks rpms raced so high it sounded as if the engine was going to explode. I put it into park and the rpms lowered to a normal level. While this was all happening a wrench icon popped up on my dash. Once the wrench icon came on I noticed my dash wasn’t telling me what gear I was in or if I was in park, neutral or drive. I pulled into the closest parking lot. I put it in park and every time I gave the truck gas the throttle would continue to accelerate on its own and would rev extremely high on its own. I also noticed as I was sitting it the parking lot at idol there is now a thumping sound/ jolt when selecting what gear to go into. I don’t know if this was caused from having to slam the car into neutral and then into park so I wouldn’t crash when the throttle accelerated. I shut my truck off and it wouldn’t turn back on. All of my electronics work but it doesn’t even want to try to start or turn over. I had to tow my truck home and it is now sitting in front of my house unusable. I have videos I can provide.

Uncommand downshift of the transmission at 50mph causing the rear wheels to skid. This was accompanied by “blind spot system fault”, “cross traffic system fault”, “see manual” warnings and a loss of transmission position indications (ie. . P-r-n-d-m-2-1). This appears to be similar to NHTSA recal # 24s37 for 2014 F-150’s.

My wife and toddler were returning from dropping off our older child at school this morning. As she approached an intersection, the rear wheels suddenly seized, causing an abrupt stop. A transmission failure code flashed on the digital gauges. The engine shut off, but the electronics remained on, as if in accessory mode. She was able to turn the truck off and then back on, which seemed to reset the system and allow her to drive forward.

Sudden downshifts of my transmission. Traveling on the highway at 65mph and all of a sudden the transmission shifted down to a lower gear, causing my wheels to lock and vehicle to shudder. Then after stopping on the side of the road, it took the vehicle several minutes to re-engage. I was able to limp the vehicle to the dealer where they replaced the molded lead frame and transmission control module. Very unexpected repair cost.

While driving today, my Ford f150 manual light came on while I was driving and then break assistance. Light came on, and it told me to check the brake system. And immediately immediately the truck slammed on the brakes while driving. I almost wrecked with my two year-old daughter who is autistic in the vehicle. This needs to be fixed ASAP. This is very dangerous and could’ve been a lot worse this morning.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended for several seconds before the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that while at a stop light there was an abnormal banging sound coming the transmission. The contact stated that the 4-wd warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and open a case. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

Transmission has a shutter issue with torch converter. Shops are indicating this is a known issue and some models have had previous recalls for our year but our VIN is not showing a recall for that. It does have a power train control module recall # 24e03.

My truck has 140,000 miles and I have maintained it to the specs provided by Ford my vehicle began to unexpectedly overheat when I was in 6th gear cruising at a low rpm. I had the coolant fluid tested for exhaust gasses. Exhaust gasses were detected and it was determined I had a blown head gasket. After taking to mechanics, other owners all over the internet, and Ford dealership employees at the dealership I purchased NY truck from. Everyone said the same thing. The 2. 7l ecoboost motor is prone to blowing a head gasket. My own father who has the same truck, just a younger older than mine decided to just replace the whole motor because he too blew a head gasket. This head gasket issue is pervasive and I would not be surprised if over 20% of this generation of motor has the same problem. I.

See attached document for complaint.