2011 Ford F-150 transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the vehicle to suddenly decelerate. During the failure, the WRENCH icon was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the failure was self-corrected, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11757870 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that smoke was covering the roadway. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, there was oil leaking around the manifold. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving to the dealer for a scheduled recall repair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 218,000.

NHTSA complaint #11758088 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear and the rear wheels locked up. The contact stated that while in third gear, the vehicle shifted to fourth gear unexpectedly. The transmission failed to shift above fifth gear. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of first gear. After turning off the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the wrench symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the sensor. The transmission sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure persisted over time. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and confirmed that the vehicle was previously repaired in 2017 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The manufacturer declined to provide any additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 159,599.

NHTSA complaint #11755860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:SHAFT:OUTPUT

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.

NHTSA complaint #11752386 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into low gear, and the rear wheels locked up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle lost traction and slid uncontrollably before coming to a stop on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the vehicle was not repaired because the manufacturer required that the owner pay out-of-pocket for the rear differential replacement, even though the rear differential failure was directly associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300,000.

NHTSA complaint #11750320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission software safety recall was identified due and performed by Phil Long Ford Pro team. Following the software update they vehicle 2011 F150 Raptor [XXX] developed shifting issues 4th-5th gear and 5th-6th gear shifting. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11750404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? “We lost power while driving, along with a weird downshift today, 5/16/2026. This is happen one other time, however not as bad.” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? “It could have been way worse, lucky there was a left turn lane that avoided us being rear ended by the vehicle behind us.” Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? “Not for this time, but it will be going in first thing Monday. We did have it looked at back in April when it did a weird downshift while driving, but they couldn’t find an issue then.” Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? “No, but it will be after this incident.” Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? “No warning lights, just loss of power and an intense downshift. The first time the downshift thing happened was back in April, but nothing more. We had a mechanic look at it, but nothing happened for him then.”

NHTSA complaint #11738253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I contacted ford about my molded lead frame because my truck has a issue with the transmission and they denied my coverage to repair the problem and it’s is expired so the won’t fix the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11736921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My vehicle has abrupt unintended downshifts straight down to first gear at fast speeds, which is causing rear-wheel lockage near heart attack and near-loss of control spinout. The sudden downshifting causes a loud violent high extreme RPM engine over rev. sounding as if it is about to blow up or an internal explosion. This is occurring at highway speeds up to 70 mph. At these speeds, is an immediate risk to me and others! Causing a fatal high-speed rollover or a multi-vehicle collision due to this malfunction! This was a recall 19S07 for my year of truck but my Vin was somehow was not on the list which I guess makes me not qualified unless I get into a crash and then have a lawsuit.

NHTSA complaint #11737127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I've sent earlier not sure if it went through transmission dropingvout of gear at any time putting my. Life in danger, and family, hope I don't end up needing a lawyer if a major fatality happens

NHTSA complaint #11737185 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When taking off the vehicle will shift into 5th gear trying to take off then hard shift down to 1st then up to 3rd and violently jerk forward. When pressing the brake pedal at a stop light it will jerk forward. When going uphill the vehicle will struggle in 5th gear and then downshift to 4th and loose power and gain power and doesn’t move unless at high rpm’s ( 3000-4000). When on the interstate it will start to move and then loose power then gain power over and over. It will be moving fine then but when taking off it will be stuck in 1st gear and refusing to shift which will then cause dangerous situations with going through intersections

NHTSA complaint #11733905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am writing to formally report a dangerous safety failure on my Ford F-150 that persists after having the recommended recall service (19S07) performed. While traveling at highway speeds, my vehicle experienced an uncommanded downshift from 6th gear to 1st gear. This caused an immediate and violent deceleration, nearly resulting in a high-speed rear-end collision. This exact failure is the core safety issue addressed by Ford's powertrain control module (PCM) recall, yet the "fix" provided has failed to protect the vehicle from this life-threatening defect. I took the truck to Bolivar Ford in Tennessee for resolution. However, the dealership refused to perform any further repairs under the recall. They stated that because of my current mileage, the recall coverage has "expired." Furthermore, they diagnosed the issue as a faulty lead frame sensor—the very component linked to these downshift events—and quoted me $2,500 just to begin the repair process. A safety recall is intended to permanently rectify a defect that poses a risk to life and limb. The fact that the vehicle is still performing this dangerous maneuver after the recall was "accomplished" suggests the initial remedy was insufficient or the underlying hardware remains defective. I am requesting that Ford Motor Company intervene to ensure this vehicle is repaired at no cost to me. Given the severity of the safety risk, I do not believe mileage should disqualify a customer from having a documented, lethal defect corrected—especially when the first repair attempt failed. I look forward to your immediate response regarding how Ford intends to resolve this safety matter.

NHTSA complaint #11733030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from second gear to first gear. The contact almost lost control of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated during the failure; however, an unknown warning light illuminated several days later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown recall repair for the computer was performed but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the vehicle remained with the dealer for several days. The dealer informed the contact that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11732690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I was driving 70mph and my truck went from sixth gear down to first gear. I almost wrecked. The odometer went to zero and a little wrench showed up on the dash. I had to pull over and turn off the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11732726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The range sensor Clunk into reverse Down shift sometimes The light on dash cuts off when put into reverse and the wrench light comes on. Only has 137k miles. Just replaced the motor now transmission Other years f150 have recalls why isn’t this year ??

NHTSA complaint #11729923 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Approximately one month ago, I noticed that the vehicle would not accelerate the way it normally does. A error code came on. I took the vehicle to Auto Zone for error code check. I was informed that the powertrain control module speed sensor had gone bad. I looked this up and found that Ford had a recall on 2011 Ford F-150s for similar issues. I disconnected the battery, as recommended on an internet site, and the vehicle began to operate normally. About one week later, I noticed that the vehicle would not shift above third gear and was accelerating very sluggishly. On further investigation I fount that the vehicle would not shift out of third gear (up or down). I again disconnected/reconnected the battery, and again it began operating normally. I contacted the local Ford dealership and they said that I should have received a letter in May 2019 about the PCM recall. I didn't recall receiving the letter, but Ford Motor Co. Customer Service says the PCM was actually reprogrammed on March 29, 2019 to repair the issues related to the recall. My concern is that the PCM speed sensor is malfunctioning again even after the repairs were supposedly performed by Ford. I am concerned that the vehicle may again be potentially unsafe to operate at highway speeds. I wanted to make NHTSA aware of the potential for ongoing safety issues with this vehicle even after Ford's proposed fix.

NHTSA complaint #11723553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

NHTSA complaint #11719284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Trans mission input shaft speed sensor. Transmission is downshifting and going into limp mode while driving.

NHTSA complaint #11716632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I faced an unexpected transmission downshift that came without warning or driver input. Transmission 6R80. The same problem that is being investigated for the 2015 - 2017 Ford F-150. The truck only had 105,904 miles. I was almost hit in the rear when this happened. This happened in November 2025

NHTSA complaint #11716321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The truck will randomly downshift from 4th or 5th gear to 1st gear. I was driving around 64 miles per hour and the truck downshifted into first gear. It made me swerve out of my lane on the highway and sounded terrible on the engine. It’s very dangerous and is going to cause a wreck or ruin the engine. Ford had an extended warranty for up to 150,000 miles on the molded leadframe and my truck has 156,000. Ford refused to fix this issue and I feel as if they should replace the faulty part.

NHTSA complaint #11714635 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The first indication of problems came when I tried to put the truck in gear and I noticed that the reverse light didn't come on and it wouldn't engage into the gear then as I was traveling down a three-lane highway in the middle lane the car started jerking and like it didn't want to go and then I got to a red light and the truck would not move so I was stuck in the central lane but after engaging the gear several times I managed to get the vehicle into a gas station parking lot where I call the dealership after finding out that I had the trouble code that was referred in the recall and the vehicle was towed to Duval I mean it was told to Hogan forward on Atlantic boulevard .where it's now under inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11703171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

P072200-68, CMDTC, Output Shaft Sensor Circuit No Signal. There has reportedly been multiple recalls for the 2011 Ford F-150's 6-speed automatic transmission related to an issue with the molded lead frame that can cause an unexpected downshift into first gear.

NHTSA complaint #11701611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

TRUCK HAS INTERMITTENT OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPLTY DOWNSHIFT AND LOCK REAR END UP. FORD IS AWARE ACVORDING TO FORD TSB 13-6-8. MOLDED LEAD FRAME NEEDS REPLACED. I GAVE OBD CODES P0720 AND P0722 INDICATING THIS FOR WANTS 2000.00 DOLLARS TO FIX A KNOWN REPAIR. CALLED FMC IN DEARBORN...PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME ITS MY PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11699779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after the dealer had reprogrammed the PCM under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train), the vehicle started to experience failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted to first gear unintendedly. The powertrain warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the brake lights, the hazard lights, the turn signal lights, and the infotainment system and the A/C system became inoperable after the recall repair. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure might be related to the electrical system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint #11697685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

After a short drive on the highway, upon slowing down to turn off, automatic transmission was erraticly changing gears. kept switching from 1st to 2nd gear. really jerky with tires locking up. pulled to side of the road, shut off truck and restarted. seemed to work fine for the 2 mile drive to my destination. when leaving to head home it shifted ok but i noticed some weird shifting patterns. then upon slowing to a stop off the highway again, when i left the stop sign it repeated the process off shifting back and forth from 1st to 2nd gear again. shut off truck started again. drove home ok. i am dropping it off to be looked at today. i really do not feel safe driving this pickup not knowing when and where this could happen again. no warning lights

NHTSA complaint #11696725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, and DTC: P0720 was retrieved, which indicated a failure with the output shaft speed sensor. The contact was informed that the output shaft speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that neither repair was covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA complaint #11694835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Any time I’ll driving my truck down hill the transmission drops into 1st gear while traveling 65 miles per hour almost causing an accident every time this happens

NHTSA complaint #11694843 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Going down the highway at 60mph. Car went from 6th gear to 1st gear and tires locked up and I started sliding. I could smell the tires burning. I threw it into neutral and the tires unlocked. I dropped back down to 40 mph and went back into drive. No issue after.

NHTSA complaint #11691229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.