general problems of the 2017 Ford F-150 - part 2

While driving ~70mph on I-80 in central wyoming, my truck suddenly and unexpectedly downshifted to a low gear, causing rpms to spike to 8000+ and making me swerve and nearly go off the road. No warning lights or cautions appeared. I pulled over, turned off the ignition, and checked my engine compartment to see if I could find any issues but everything appeared normal. I resumed driving and everything felt normal. Approximately 100 miles later a check engine light appeared. No other cautions or messages appeared. My transmission and engine oil temperature gauges showed readings in the middle of the normal range. I was 10 miles from the nearest town and immediately stopped at a mechanic shop to diagnose the issue. After several days trying to diagnose the issue, they told me that my transmission had severely overheated, was near failure, and needed to be replaced. I had a regular transmission service less than 12 months prior at a Ford dealership and no issues were noted. I am writing this because I am aware of many other F-150 owners experiencing similar problems and I believe Ford needs to address this clearly systemic issue with the 10r80 transmission.

In June 2025 and again in December 2025, when my truck stopped at a red traffic light and I applied my brakes to stop the vehicle, my two rear wheels/tires started to spin rapidly non-stop for 60 seconds or the duration of the traffic light, causing a great deal of smoke and noise. My truck acted like a "drag racing" machine on a short track revving its engine and spinning its tires for a very short burst of speed down the track. Cars behind me kept their distance and I thought my truck would bolt forward at any time causing a serious accident. I applied my brakes as firmly as possible, praying my truck would not lose control and bolt forward into the lane of traffic. In June, my mechanic thoroughly inspected my vehicle for four hours, going on a test drive, pulled off all the wheels and checked every pertinent component, ran 3 diagnostic code assessments and found nothing. When it happened again on December 11, 2025, I contacted another mechanic who told me he could not address the issue since it was a known Ford issue and to contact NHTSA and Ford (pe25-002). Finally, there were no warning lights on my dashboard when it happened during these two incidents.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into gear. The contact stated that the transmission shifted into a lower gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started, and the transmission was independently reset. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the transmission independently shifted into gear, and the failure was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

While driving, my 2017 Ford f?150 experienced a sudden loss of the output shaft speed (oss) sensor signal, causing the transmission to stay stuck in a higher gear and triggering the wrench light. The truck lost power and would not shift properly. A diagnostic scan showed two transmission codes: one for the oss sensor and a second code indicating an intermittent electrical signal drop. I contacted a Ford dealer before the repair, described the symptoms, and asked for an estimate. The service advisor did not disclose any known issues and never called me back after saying he would check parts availability. These symptoms match the known failure pattern of the molded lead frame in the 6r80 transmission. My truck exhibited intermittent behavior, harsh shifting, and unsafe drivability. I had to pay $1,250 out of pocket to replace the lead frame to restore normal operation. I later learned that NHTSA has opened an engineering analysis into 2015–2017 f?150 trucks for this exact issue (oss signal loss due to internal electrical degradation of the lead frame). My vehicle’s symptoms, diagnostic codes, and required repair are consistent with the defect under investigation. This failure creates a safety hazard because the truck can suddenly lose the ability to accelerate or shift correctly, especially in traffic or at highway speeds. I am requesting that NHTSA include my vehicle in the investigation and that Ford be required to address this defect.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift gears. The check engine and power train warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Ford customer satisfaction program: 19n01 and NHTSA campaign number: 19v075000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The cdf drum bushing slipped, which seems to be a constant problem on the f150's, causing my truck transmission to fail while on the freeway. Looking online, several of these instances have occurred to other truck owners. The cost to repair this is astronomical and if Ford has been aware of the problem for so long, they should have recalled the trucks and fixed the problem.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle momentarily lost motive power while shifting into gear, and the transmission shifted hard. The power train warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle went into limp mode. The warning light was illuminated after each failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission cdf drum had failed. The dealer had not yet provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

I was driving my truck around 40 mph and a wrench came up on the dash, the fan sounded like it kicked in on high for the duration of the wrench being on, the light indicating whether the truck was in p, r, n, d, m, 2, 1 was no longer illuminated. After a while it stopped but the problem has persisted. This last time, I was driving my truck around 55 mph and the exact same thing happened but this time the truck seemed to downshift into either first or second gear and obviously the rpm was extremely high. After this happened, I took the truck to the fairway Ford in evans, georgia and was notified that the molded lead frame needed to be replaced, costing nearly $2,300. This sudden downshift was an extremely concerning safety issue that could have resulted in a crash and endangered not only myself and my children, but others that wouldn’t have been able to prevent an accident. I hope this issue is addressed before someone loses their life over the poor quality of a Ford manufactured and Ford endorsed product with potentially dangerous consequences when it fails suddenly.

I was driving 70 mph down the interstate when my truck unexpectedly shifted into 1st. A couple weeks later, I was driving down the interstate when my truck unexpectedly shifted into neutral and then the reverse camera came on. I took it to a local mechanic shop yesterday when the truck unexpectedly shifted into neutral again. This is completely unacceptable and is very dangerous. It is currently being worked on to replace the lead frame but this is a huge safety issue and id like Ford to cover my repair cost. It has left me stranded three times now. I did the recall not too long ago and this did not fix the issue. Ford clearly knows about the issue and decided to only update the software. Id also like to add my truck is only driven maybe once a month so its not heavily driven.

Transmission lead frame causing sudden shift to first gear during travel, no start, erattic shifting. This seems to be an on going issue with Ford 6 speed transmissions.

The transmission down shifted from 5th to first while going approximately 50 mph out of nowhere and without warning. This caused a rapid deceleration while on a busy road and scared the crap out of me. The truck stayed in a reduced power mode until I shut it down and restarted. I used my auto scan tool to look up if any fault codes were registered. Fault code p0722:00-68 was registered (output shaft speed sensor circuit no signal) which indicates a problem with the molded lead frame in the transmission. Why has Ford not issued a safety recall for this known problem? this can cause a catastrophic failure/safety issue while driving.

While driving lost transmission gear selection on the cluster and would no longer go into 1st gear. Wrench light flashed and showed see owners manual. When decelerating for a stop the truck does not downshift into 1st gear, when your expecting a downshift it makes it very hard to stop at intended spot. Dealership mentioned this being a known issue (lead frame replacement needed) but has only been recalled for 2014 and below year models.

I had a check engine light come on for an oss sensor. Shortly after that started my truck would aggressively downshift to lower gears and lock up. I’m now having to replace the transmission.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle started rolling forward, prompting the contact to not attempt to drive the vehicle. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 126,000.

The powertrain/transmission is not receiving the signal from the engine to accelerate. It can be inspected. The vehicle is slow to accelerate or will not accelerate at all, causing lurching motions and slow movement of the vehicle. This can cause my vehicle to rapidly accelerate or me to slowly decelerate, causing me to possibly run into others or be hit by others. No one has reproduced or assessed the problem. The problem occurred multiple times before a warning message was displayed. The signal appeared after two weeks of the failure occuring.

While driving my 2017 Ford f150, on or about 10/16/2025 the vehicle began jerking significantly. It was intermittent smoothing out then jerking severely again. The problem persisted so I took it to Ford of spartanburg, SC. They diagnosed a slip found with the torque converter under load. They recommended replacing the torque converter and replacing the transmission filter. I only had 80,006. 0 mileage on my truck when this happened.

Transmission had been shifting erratically & wrench appeared on dash. Had truck towed to dealership & was told lead frame was bad. Replaced for $2054. After one day wrench appeared on dash. Took back to dealership and was told clutch pack exploded & required new transmission. Mileage 120,308.

Complete loss of transmission power, and gear indicator in the instrument cluster starts flickering like it is shorting out. The vehicle has been experiencing this for 2 weeks. This happens under acceleration mainly, and first occurred while entering a highway. The symptoms seem to match those presented regarding the lead frame issues presented on many forums.

Truck downshifted on its own from 6th gear to first gear. This caused rear wheel lock up around 55 mph. Vehicle became unsafe and difficult to control.

The transmission would randomly shift into first regardless of speed. Several times this occurred at highway speeds causing a sudden decrease on speed nearly leading to a rear end collision. The problem worsened to the point it would suddenly hunt for a gear. Fortunately this did not occur on the highway as it probably would have led to a serious accident. The problem was confirmed and repaired by an independent shop by replacing the molded lead frame in the transmission. There was no warning when the dangerous condition would occur.

Shift hard while driving. Hesitates from the stop position to go when pressing the gas.

Lead frame malfunction vehicle downshifts into lower gears and won't shift afterwards have not taken to service center as of today just started happening recently no inspections have been performed a service warning came on after the sudden downshift.

I just paid 2129. 05 to have the separator plate on my 2017 Ford F-150 3. 5l /10-speed replaced. The issue was the though bolts in the torque converter were making rotational contact with the stationary separator plate within the bell housing. Ford has a TSB concerning this issue. The number is; ssm52295 ,TSB 19-2230. This specifically cites 2018-2023 models with 3. 5l or 5. 0l engines, similar issues and symptoms [3. 5l/10-speed] occur on 2017 models. It seems this is a known flaw yet there is no financial consideration for this expensive repair. This is not a wear item. It is stationary. This situation has developed over the past several months with most notable audible evidence occurring upon very cold weather initial start-up.

Automatic transmission having major jerking and shuttering issues.

While I am driving in normal drive when my vehicle is in 6th gear cruising there is a shutter in the transmissionthat happens (like running over rumble strips)and only sixth gear. When I have 4 wheel drive locked in the transmission shutter happens in 3-6th gear and only happens at lower cruising rpms and trying to accelerate when I'm either using the pedal or cruise control. When I am in normal driving mode I have to leave 6th gear unselected so the rpms aren't too low to keep the transmission shutter from happening. Brought to the Ford dealership and during the ride along with the tech he admitted he could feel it and could be 1 of 3 things the transmission, the torque converter or the torque converter control module. After picking my truck back up they said since I have no codes and they found a flaw in my rim. And that is what is causing the only sixth gear low rpm transmission shutter. And the shutter doesn't happen during higher rpms even at the same speeds. I have read up on this shutter and everyone was saying the same feeling in there f150s and was a transmission shutter. Don't want my transmission locking up at interstate speeds could cause losing control or causing an accident due to lock up.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after cold starting the vehicle, the transmission hesitated and then shifted into the next gear with a bump. The contact stated that once the engine had warmed up, the transmission shifted normally. The contact stated that recently, while stopped at a traffic light, after the light changed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that the engine was running, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted manually to first gear, and the vehicle moved forward with a bump. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the transmission and engine were replaced several years ago. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,530.

Drivability issues. Harsh shifting, downshifting, loss of acceleration, and warning lights appearing. Giving code p0722.

Transmission started shuddering then it downshifted to 1st gear while driving 45. Almost blew the motor up and scared the living hell out of me. No accident thankfully. 2 days later transmission went out completely. 5300 dollar repair bill from coburns in shreveport louisiana.

Transmission lead frame failure. Common / known issue with Ford f150's. Evidently, there is a recall on the part that mine needs, but my VIN isn't included in the recall. I can't accelerate at random. Vehicle starts off in 3rd gear / limp mode yes, confirmed by ase certified tech replacement part isn't readily available due to high failure rate and recall.

On 2/19/25, I was driving to work. Approximately 2 miles from home I started to hear a grinding / humming noise coming from the front differential, like the 4 wheel drive was engaged. I pulled over and confirmed the 4 wheel drive switch was turned off. I backed up about 20 feet, to disengage the 4 wheel drive. I continued on my way. About 3 miles later the noise returned. I could tell the 4 wheel drive had definitely engaged at around 40 mph. Again, I pulled over. When I got under 10 mph, the 4 wheel drive disengaged by itself. This happened 2 more times within the next 5 miles. Had the truck towed to Ford dealership. Technician could not replicate the condition. They performed a Ford TSB (24-2188) transfer case control module reprogram. Out of caution, I paid them to replace the 4 wheel drive actuator ($445. 00 repair). Mileage on vehicle 74354. Problem seemed to be resolved, until 9/13/25. I was driving on a very busy interstate, approximately 60 mph, I hear a loud thump, like I ran over something on the road. Loud humming and bad vibration coming from front end. No place to pull over safely, reduced speed to 45 mph. As I pull to side of the road at about 5 mph, the 4 wheel drive disengages, vibration & noise goes away. Again this happens 3 times in the next 40 miles. (mileage on vehicle 75529) no issues since - current mileage 77606.

Was on my way to work going about 75 and my truck shifted from 6th gear to 1st gear causing my back wheels to lock up and caused me to lose control nearly wrecking my vehicle.

I am writing to report a serious and recurring safety issue with my vehicle. On multiple occasions, while either pulling out into traffic or driving at normal speeds, the vehicle has unexpectedly dropped into first gear. This sudden downshift has caused the vehicle to decelerate abruptly, nearly resulting in a loss of control and posing a significant risk of an accident. As a business owner, I often have crew members riding with me, and this malfunction endangers not only my employees but also my family when they are in the vehicle. This is an unacceptable and dangerous situation that must be addressed immediately. I am requesting a full inspection and diagnosis of the transmission system, along with a permanent resolution to this issue. I urge you to prioritize this matter due to the safety risks involved.

6 speed automatic transmission downshifts while traveling at high speed into low gear by itself, causing vehicle to change speed and lock up rear wheels. Very dangerous! vehicle has 66,150 miles on it, and isn’t used for work. The transmission also shifts into second and third gears while sitting still at a traffic light. This has happened multiple times. It is just now 1 month out of service contract (ended 8/2025 it started 9/2025). It is available for inspection. It has not been to dealer or mechanic yet for inspection or repairs to this certain transmission issue. It has only ever been serviced by Ford dealer on regular basis since I purchased it new. No warning lights or codes of any kind. This is now not safe to drive, as it’s happening almost daily. Hopefully this is a recall soon and Ford does the right thing!.

Truck has roughly 185,000 miles & is equipped with the 10r80 transmission. Transmission recently began experiencing harsh & hard shifts, skipping or slipping gears, gear searching and randomly shifts to neutral. Had transmission fluid/filter changed with little to no change in erratic transmission. Issues have been intermittent and I am unable to reproduce manually. 4 transmission shops and a Ford dealership have all advised the most likely diagnosis is a failed cdf drum that has been a common issue with these transmissions but they cannot confirm without a teardown of the transmission. Vehicle is still drivable, if issues occur I park, turn the truck off for at least 1 minute. After starting the truck again the issue resolves itself. This issue leaves the vehicle susceptible to stalling/neutral on the roadway and at highway and city speeds.

Car rolls freely when placed in park.