Electrical System Problems of Ford F-150 - part 1

This is a supplemental complaint to my earlier report regarding NHTSA campaign 26v237 / Ford safety recall 26s28. The recall remedy (pcm software update) was performed at w. C. Sanderson Ford in healdsburg, CA on xxx. The original downshift defect recurred within weeks, including a near-miss where I nearly lost control of the vehicle with my [xxx] son inside. Since then, I have had the vehicle independently scanned twice, including a full all-systems diagnostic scan. The scan shows a communication fault (u0401, "invalid data received from pcm") present across five separate control modules: abs, airbag/occupant classification system, power steering control module, tire pressure monitoring/body control, and the engine module. The scan's own assessment recommends repairing can-bus wiring and connections. I believe this network-wide wiring fault may be the actual underlying cause of the condition recall 26s28 was intended to fix — the recall's software update assumes a signal-loss problem can be resolved in software, but if the root cause is physical wiring, the remedy would not correct it. This would explain why the defect recurred so soon after the software update was installed. A second code, p2112 (throttle actuator stuck closed), also appeared spontaneously while the vehicle was parked. This code is documented in Ford's own technical service bulletin 16-0139 (issued 2018), indicating Ford had prior knowledge of related fault patterns on this vehicle range. Of particular concern, the airbag/occupant classification system is affected by the same communication fault. This system governs airbag deployment behavior based on occupant detection, and my son rides in this vehicle regularly. The vehicle is currently not safe to drive. I am requesting NHTSA evaluate whether the 26s28 remedy adequately addresses the underlying defect, given evidence that a wiring-level fault — not solely a software issue — may be the true root cause. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b).

See all problems of the 2015 Ford F-150 🔎.

I would like to file complaint against Ford for their latest recall (26n041) and how they are not doing replacing the defective lead frame in customers vehicles. It's a big scam and a waste of time. I brought my 2016 Ford F-150 in for Ford’s latest recall (26n04) affecting 2015–2017 models due to the transmission leadframe issue. I explained that I’ve been dealing with an intermittent problem for the past seven months: while driving, the gear indicator lights on the dash begin to flicker, and when that happens, the transmission shifts extremely hard and slams into the next gear. Ford kept my truck for a week and told me they were unable to duplicate the issue. They stated that multiple technicians drove the vehicle and none of them observed any problems. When I arrived to pick it up, I was handed a bill for more than $250 for a diagnostic fee. Within four miles of leaving the dealership, the gear indicator lights began flickering again. It’s difficult to accept that several technicians drove the truck over multiple days and never encountered the issue I experienced almost immediately. The entire process felt like a waste of time and money, and I’m left without any resolution to a problem that clearly still exists. They are not honoring the recall, they are trying to charge customers for the repair.

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I have a 2013 Ford 150 king ranch 4x4 with the 6r80 transmission and approximately 125k miles on it. This morning, I was stopped at a red light and upon accelerating my truck would not shift out of first gear. The speedometer stopped working, and engine light came on. I pulled over and turned off the truck to inspect it. I restarted the truck and it was shifting appropriately for about 5 miles when it all of a sudden shifted into first gear while I was driving approximately 35-40mph, nearly causing an accident until I could safely pull over. I researched symptoms and found information regarding the molded lead frame on the 2013 model f150s. I understand Ford warranty coverage was limited to 10 years, but I believe Ford should continue to honor this known defect in there vehicle. This is a serious safety concern. If it would have been raining, or icy weather, it could have caused a serious accident and/or death to myself or others. Ford is aware of these issues, and yet owners are still responsible for their defective parts after warranty expires. I believe the manufacturer has an obligation to address this known problem. I am requesting Ford review my vehicle and this failure as a safety-related defect and provide assistance with the repair, as well as covering the cost of repair in full. At minimum, I am requesting Ford provide reimbursement based on the known history of the component and the potential safety consequences of its failure.

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Short in the rear window defroster. Within 5 minutes of turning off the defroster after only having it on for 2 minutes at 2:30am leaving work, the back window exploded outward and shattering. No rocks, no other folks on the road. Upon research, and after contacting insurance company and the glass repair company, this is a very common issue in 2015-2019 F-150s. But there are no safety recalls. Praise god my children were not in the backseat, they would have been riddled with glass. How is this not a safety issue?.

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When driving the vehicle it randomly jumps gears, when taking off it went into limp mode today. My wife almost got slammed by a semi truck! I called Ford and they are not interested in hearing my case only wanting me to pay these outrageous fees. The pcm recall fix did not fix the gears jumping.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford F-150 🔎.

While driving at speed, my vehicle experienced a severe safety hazard: the transmission jerked violently and the engine completely stalled on the road, causing an immediate loss of power. The dealership diagnosed the truck and stated that tree debris had plugged the cowl drains at the base of the windshield. Because the drains plugged, rainwater backed up and overflowed directly into the passenger cabin, soaking the body control module (bcm) and crashing the central computer network. A vehicle's central computer network should not be engineered in a way that normal outdoor tree debris can completely flood an interior cabin module and cause a dangerous drivetrain shutdown while driving.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford F-150 🔎.

This vehicle 2016 Ford f150 is known to have shorting issues. From literally all wiring harnesses. I had a small fire in my truck due to this issue, caused melting of the ribbon cable in my seat heater control module, which is a known issue from Ford. I have shorting in my turn signal switch (no wipers). Is that safe? I am a research scientist and engineer, I can tell you now it is not safe. If I need to prove it, I can do so with ease and write the necessary literature. If I cant use my ac sometimes, the windows fog, then I cant use the wipers to unfog them, how is this not a visibility issue? not to mention all the shorts. I have a 40 gallon fuel tank, if any shorts get near it, is that going to be a fun experience for me? please give Ford a penalty, the average owner of this truck pays thousands a year in repairs. I paid $17,800. 00 in 2025 to repair this piece of shit. And it still has major issues. This is something Ford needs to address, I want my wiring to be replaced, I bought a new engine, what if I cant use it especailly with the 3 year warranty bc the wiring consistently shorts and fails. Unacceptable for a truck that's sticker price is $80k. This is a major problem, I will file claims until im afforded a response.

I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford F-150 🔎.

Due to a dangerous design flaw in the 2021 Ford f150, I was put in a potentially dangerous situation by completely losing all power in the vehicle on a backroad. Design flaw is the dcn module, which floods into the vehicles electrical system/body of vehicle through the cowel drain that can supposedly be blocked by a singular piece of pine straw. Due to the design flaw, the vehicle completely lost all power and all electronics failed while driving down the road at 45 mph, putting both me and my father (riding passenger seat) in immediate danger. Ford knows and is aware of the design flaw and has refused to issue a recall, not only affecting my safety, but now I am going back and forth with Ford over the fix to the tune of $2800 that they refuse to fix (vehicle is a gold certified cpo, has extended warranty). When asked how to prevent in the future, Ford was and is not aware of how to prevent in the future, and I can not get to the cowel drain clog without professional equipment and Ford performing. There is no way to tell the cowel drain is clogged or not, and there is not anything in the Ford owners manual related to maintenance of the cowel drain. Again, due to the inappropriately designed drain, this caused water leakage into my truck, posing an immediate threat to my life and others around me. I have all of the videos and pictures needed to show the failure of the system to provide to move this forward to get resolved. I had complete loss of power and electronics on the road. I tried to attach video but it would not let me. I can attach via email when requested.

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I purchased a 2017 Ford F-150 on July 9th. It is covered under safety recall 26s28 (NHTSA campaign 26v23700). On July 25th, the vehicle entered highway limp mode due to an output speed sensor failure (code p0722). A Ford dealership performed the 26s28 software flash but left the failing physical lead frame hardware in the vehicle. On August 15th, the truck reverted to a dangerous limp mode on the highway due to the same unaddressed p0722 hardware failure. Ford corporate is refusing to authorize the physical hardware replacement under the safety recall framework, leaving the vehicle fundamentally unsafe to drive.

There is an issue with my cowl which has 1 drain hole, on passenger side which if gets clogged with debris, causes water to build up and water to intrude from cowl into interior truck causing water intrusion to the body control module and electrical issues, and carpet is wet and creates mold smell and other safety issues. Cowl is not removable.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford F-150 🔎.

While driving I will get a wrench symbol with a bunch of codes pop up u0121:00:28 u0131:00:28 u0137:00:28 u0164:00:28 u0199:00:28 u0200:00:28 u0212:00:28 u0252:00:28 u0256:00:28 u1012:00:28 p0557:00:28 p1935:00:68 p193e:00:28 I have also had it jerk while driving ( went down into first gear) while having no power to my gauge cluster ac nothing.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55-65 mph, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the recall and a diagnostic trouble code related to the ecm reprogramming for the fuel system. The vehicle was towed to the local Ford dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a fuel system failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 29,043.

When backing up, the rear camera display shows a gray filter over the rear image on the display cluster and the right side warning sensors indicate a blue trapezoid on the cluster for the right side of the vehicle. The driver dashboard also has an alert that the rear brake assist feature is inactive.

1. Vehicle sat in a storage unit for 2 weeks. Battery registered adequate voltage when picking up vehicle 2. Started vehicle, engaged 4 auto due to rain 3. Drove 16 miles in light to moderate rain at speeds of 30-60mph 4. Made multiple stops at stoplight in town. When waiting at a red light, my foot was on the brake pedal for about 20 seconds, the pedal then jolted up a small amount. The dash immediately displayed several warning lights and messages: antilock brake fault, antilock brake system fault, powertrain malfunction/reduced power fault, electronic parking brake fault, hill start assist fault, precollision assist fault, service advance trac warning, advanced front lighting features fault. 5. The light turned green and I proceed to the next light to turn off the main road and park in a neighborhood to call a tow truck. 6. In the process of slowing down for the turn, I applied pressure to the brake pedal, and it went to the floor with no resistance. Brakes were 95% gone. 7. Luckily there were no cars or pedestrians in front of me and I was moving under 30 mph. This could have been catastrophic! I was able to use the transmission to downshift to slow the truck down. I was also able to apply extreme pressure to the brake pedal to barely slow the truck. When pressing hard on the brake pedal, I could here one or both of the rear tires sporadically screech, as if they locked up a small amount. 8. Finally was able to pull into a neighborhood and call a tow truck to bring truck to dealership. 9. When turning vehicle on to load onto tow truck. The vehicle started as no normal, with no warning lights and normal brake operation. Awaiting further diagnosis from dealer. 10. I have lost all trust in this vehicle if the brake sporadically give out without warning. Luckily this did not happen while going 80mph on the highway and needing to make an emergency stop. Or while offroading on a shelf road with a 100 foot cliff on the side. Easily could be dead due to this failure.

The safety daytime running lights are failing prematurely. My car has 32,000 miles and my drl is burnt out on the passenger side. Online forums confirm that this is happening to many, many people. It’s a safety hazard for other drivers because the cost to repair is substantial and people aren’t fixing them. Ford should fix this as a recall.

Pcm not communicating with throttle body causes wrench light to come on and we loose control of the gas and slows the car abruptly.

*brake system failure, complete shut down of vehicle. *vehicle unable to start. *vehicle was taken directly to peoria Ford ( 9130 w bell rd, peoria, az 85382) via tow truck on xxx confirmed when dropped off of brake system failure and vehicle not functioning. *vehicle was inspected on xxx which we were originally told it was the battery. Although the vehicle was in for trailer software recall on xxx and during inspection at that time battery was in good health. Warnings until attempting to use the vehicle on xxx and received the brake system failure alert. Vehicle would also not lock. *after battery was replaced by peoria Ford I was then told the brake system would not release and would need actuator misalignment reset/replaced.

This vehicle has been into the Ford dealer multiple times for transmission slipping type issues. From before the 60,000 mile powertrain warranty ended and after. The dealer said the only thing needed was an update and reset. Today a different Ford dealer has informed me that during the transmission flush, there are tiny specks and slivers of metal. The engine issue in regard to cam phaser repair recall/customer service bulletin has been leaking due to issues with proper sealant. The rear camera goes out and screen turns white at times.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford F-150 🔎.

A/c shuts off after 30-45 minutes of running cold. It’s clear from the amount of condensation after I park, that the evaporator core is freezing due to a faulty temperature sensor.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was unable to unlock the door while using the remote unlock feature. The lights to indicate that the vehicle was unlocked flashed, but the contact was unable to open the door. Additionally, the contact attempted to open the door manually right after using the key, but the door failed to open. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

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The clock spring in the steering has failed causing the airbag to no longer work on the driver side. The cruise control turns on and shuts off on its own. Sometimes won’t even let you set it. Volume controls no longer work. Horn no longer works. Steering has a clicking catching sound now when turning. Steering controls no longer light up and none of the buttons work.

I was driving on interstate approximatly 70 mph when it downshifted into second gear and and almost got rearended by a semi truck that was following behind my truck and luckily was able to swerve to miss hitting us. I believe it is the 6r80 transmission conductor plate that is the cause of the issue.

Immediately after starting the truck, I hear a loud popping noise coming from the radio. It sounds like an alarm noise for several seconds. I always turn the volume to 0, but I don't know if that's what shuts off the sound, or if it stops on it's own. The only way to clear the error with the radio, is to change the source from the current setting to a different source. ( fm to am or sirius ). This has happened multiple times. I've had the vehicle serviced by Ford and received ota updates that address this problem. One software update specifically said it addressed radio distortion issues, the other said that it would correct certain sync issues when starting the vehicle.

The vehicle experienced intermittent transmission-related drivability issues before the recall remedy was available. The vehicle had delayed/hard shifting, an intermittent wrench warning light, and a reduced power/limp mode condition where the transmission would not shift normally. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Ford dealer on multiple occasions, including diagnostic visits on 10/09/2023, 05/12/2025, and 02/09/2026. Ford later issued recall 26s28 involving the powertrain control module/transmission control system, and the recall remedy was performed. After the recall repair was completed, the original drivability concern continued, including sluggish shifting and delayed engagement between gears. As a second attempted repair related to the wrench warning light and transmission concern, the dealer identified the possibility of a faulty transmission lead frame and reviewed replacement under the applicable coverage. However, the dealer refused to replace the lead frame because the related fault code was not currently present during their inspection. The intermittent nature of the failure causes the code to clear after the vehicle is restarted, making it difficult to capture during a dealer visit. I provided photographic proof showing the wrench warning light was present after picking up the vehicle on the same day the recall repair was supposedly completed. Despite this evidence and the continued symptoms, the lead frame replacement was not performed. The vehicle has not been involved in a crash, but the intermittent loss of normal transmission operation creates a safety concern, especially during acceleration, merging, or uphill driving. The issue has been reported to Ford and inspected by a Ford dealer. Repair documentation, photos, and service records are available.

Day running lights in headlights fail. The side led fails completely requiring the entire headlight housing needing to be replaced. This is a common failure and Ford is not doing anything to help the thousands of customers this is affecting. This failure is widely reported online, in forums and chat rooms. Dealer acknowledges it is a part failure but Ford will not pay for replacement even though it is a design or manufacturing problem with this particular year and style of headlights.

I had two very serious incidents. July 8th: horn just started blaring unprompted. Locking/unlocking doors, turning motor on, disconnecting battery did nothing to stop it. I was trying everything and as I was trying to find the correct fuse to disable (it wasn't labeled), the horn burned out and started smoldering. If the car was not in my driveway and I wasn't home, I believe a fire would have started if I didn't pull the fuse and douse it with water. It was parked next to my garage, so that would have been at risk as well. July 11th: when driving, my brake line burst resulting in a complete failure of my brakes. I narrowly escaped two accidents before I realized something was amiss. But the only warning was abs was inactive, and active cruise control wasn't working. I had no warning that complete brake failure was imminent. I was extremely lucky. Mechanics had never seen a brake failure fail in a relatively new car in very good condition.

My 6 speed transmition started shifting erratically. I took it to Ford dealership and they did a pcm software download recall and it didnt help. The technition said he drove it and put on the wokorder. No codes stored issue not in leadframe. 1no codes stored to replace leadframe. Transmition not shifting properly, most likely cause is internal clutch burnt. I asked what my next thing to do was and she said they would only change the transmition at my cost. This truck is shiftng in 5th and keeps shifting ranomly without showing on the gear panel. It does the same in 6th gear. Between 4th and 5th it shifts real hard. All the symtoms of the lead frame recall and they said they wont touch it unless I put a new transmition in.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his fiancé was stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated violently after depressing the accelerator pedal, and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle continued accelerating while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed through a yard, into a road sign, before crashing into the rear of a parked vehicle, where the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The driver sustained whiplash and soreness in various parts of the body but had not sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The road sign was damaged. The driver coasted the vehicle back to the residence before the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. A diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure or duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

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Battery alarm came on twice while running errands less than a mile from home. Parked vehicle in driveway and checked battery connections - everything perfectly tight. 3 hours later had to extinguish flames at front base of engine. Dl3z-14300-d caused electrical fire and see now the part has been discontinued.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford F-150 🔎.

Transmission is making a grinding noise in gear from 5 to 6 and sometimes from 3 to 4.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was 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 contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle or while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel intermittently went blank. The contact used an obd machine to retrieve a fault code related to the output shaft speed (oss) sensor. The contact was informed that the oss sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that following an unsuccessful over-the-air (ota) software update, the display screen and instrument panel were constantly rebooting, with a loss of functionality for several electrical features. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where technicians associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting). After several service repairs and the inclusion of a field service engineer, the vehicle remained unrepaired and had been with the dealer for over two months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The contact was not provided any status updates because the master technicians were on extended leave. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

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The contact owned a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph on the freeway, another vehicle driver pulled beside the contact on the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the rear passenger’s side seats. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off, and then exited the vehicle. The contact became aware of the smoke and poured water between the seats of the vehicle, opened the rear passenger’s side door, pulled the rear passenger down, and noticed flames were coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact sustained minor burns to the left and right hands. Medical attention was not needed. The contact called the emergency services, but a police report was not filed. The contact immediately extinguished the fire. The fire department arrived on the scene, folded the driver’s side passenger seat down, and detached the electrical wiring component that was attached to the rear passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.