2017 Ford F-150 problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

After a big freeze my fuel level gauge stopped working. I have replaced every sensor and fuse possible, along with multiple new fuel pumps. It has been taken to a certified Ford Dealership and they can’t find the problem. There is a Ford recall that already explains the problem exactly. It is Ford 26C26. I am not able to get my vehicle inspected and without knowing exactly what my fuel level is it could leave me stranded.

NHTSA complaint #11764215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

After a big freeze my fuel level gauge stopped working. I have replaced every sensor and fuse possible, along with multiple new fuel pumps. It has been taken to a certified Ford Dealership and they can’t find the problem. There is a Ford recall that already explains the problem exactly. It is Ford 26C26. I am not able to get my vehicle inspected and without knowing exactly what my fuel level is it could leave me stranded.

NHTSA complaint #11764215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V847000 (Steering, Air Bags); however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline and to the DMV for assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11763620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V847000 (Steering, Air Bags); however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline and to the DMV for assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11763620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The torque converter has malfunctioned and the vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs. The truck experiences significant vibration and shuddering at speeds above 45 mph. There is an existing recall for this exact issue; however, our VIN is not included in the affected vehicle population. With only 60,000 to 70,000 miles on the truck and less than 10 years of service, a major component such as the torque converter should not require replacement, especially on a vehicle that has been properly maintained throughout its life.

NHTSA complaint #11763384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My vehicle's transmission changed gears suddenly and unexpectedly causing a slight difficulty to control. Following the sudden gear change, some lights on the dashboard began flickering erratically. I have video of the dashboard after the gear change. For this incident, I was driving about 25 MPH. I experienced similar behavior before and at highway speeds. Since then, the vehicle was serviced by Ford for a Safety Recall Notice 26S28/NHTSA Recall 26V237. The service performed under the recall did not fix the problem. The local Ford dealer told me they would charge me to have the problem investigated, so I have not brought the vehicle in to them.

NHTSA complaint #11763161 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the contact attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to stop as needed and the braking distance became extended. Additionally, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure.

NHTSA complaint #11763091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2017 Ford F-150 V8 with the 6-speed automatic transmission has been experiencing a serious and recurring transmission malfunction. The truck has consistently, almost on a daily basis, gone into limp mode and become stuck in 5th gear. It also frequently fails to downshift to 1st gear when coming to a stop. Instead, it remains in 3rd gear, requiring the truck to pull away from a complete stop in 3rd gear. The dealership did perform the software update on 08/20/2026 ,yet the issues remain the same. The vehicle has set diagnostic trouble code P0722 for the transmission output speed sensor. I have been informed that the output speed sensor is molded into the transmission lead frame and cannot be replaced separately, requiring replacement of the lead frame. Today, the transmission malfunction created an immediate and potentially life-threatening safety situation. As I pulled out of my driveway, the truck remained in 1st gear and would not properly progress through the gears. It then abruptly jumped into 2nd gear and caused the vehicle to stall/lose forward progress while I was entering the roadway. Oncoming traffic was nearly upon me and I was almost struck. The vehicle eventually engaged the proper gear and continued moving, but by that time I was in a dangerous, life-threatening situation. This is not an isolated incident or an occasional inconvenience. The transmission has been repeatedly malfunctioning, including going into limp mode in 5th gear and failing to downshift appropriately when stopping. The vehicle's inability to properly select and engage the appropriate gear creates a serious risk when pulling into traffic, stopping, accelerating, or attempting to avoid another vehicle. Ford has a customer satisfaction program related to the transmission lead frame/output speed sensor issue. However, I was told that my vehicle is not covered because P0722 is not one of the diagnostic codes included for coverage.

NHTSA complaint #11762766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

In 2025 my 2017 Ford F-150 started randomly downshifting. We took the car to the ford dealer who could not assess what the problem was exactly (Rowe Ford in Westbrook, Maine). They suggested a new transmission to be safe and clearly indicated that this was not a safe truck to drive at the time. We took the truck to another ford dealer to try to get an actual determination of what was wrong (Casco Bay Ford, Maine). They also advised that no codes were being given but that the truck was clearly downshifting and not safe. With no real alternatives or clear problem, we paid $8,000+ for a new transmission. Then, months later we get the recall notice: (Campaign 26S28 / NHTSA Recall 26V237) - Ford F-150's were downshifting... We had Ford do the software update as this is now a new transmission, but when we asked about the Recall and if there was anything we could do about the $8,000 we just paid lower and upper management (we talked to both) advised that because they could not definitively put a label to the problem before we fixed the transmission that they could not attribute the downshifting to the same problem and so will not help or otherwise reimburse us for the cost of having to fix the problem that was recalled later. No remedy was offered by Ford.

NHTSA complaint #11762793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle has a ten speed transmission. It started with the transmission making minor down shifts from 3 to 1 and then 7 to 1. Without any engine warning light. It has subsequently started a severe shift from 3 to 1 and 7 to 1 and the engine light has now come on. This creates a dangerous situation when it down shifts from 7-1 when your speed is 45 mph of above. I contacted a dealership regarding a repair but was told there is no recall and it would cost $215 to diagnose and from $4,500 - $8,000 for the repair. It is a known issue to the Ford dealers but without a recall they are gouging the consumers who is at risk of accident.

NHTSA complaint #11762515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes became inoperable. The brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, and the vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode back to the residence. The dealer was contacted by phone and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,118.

NHTSA complaint #11761975 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The 4-5-6 drum ring in my transmission went out on my truck that has 70, 318 miles on it. Vehicle was missing shift points and would not always shift properly causing power to not be available when expected - especially dangerous when trying to merge onto a highway. Vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership and by ABC transmissions of Tacoma WA. I paid ABC Transmissions $9,693.98 to fix the problem. The transmissions would clunk badly and was very obviously missing shift points. They first appeared 30k miles ago but Ford lied to me saying it was a "software problem".

NHTSA complaint #11761678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle is subject to active Safety Recall 26S28 for transmission lead frame and range sensor failure causing unexpected downshifts into 1st gear. Vehicle experienced downshifting symptoms creating severe road hazard and risk of rear-wheel lockup. Dealership cleared diagnostic trouble codes without saving freeze-frame logs, mis-entered VIN on billing estimates, and refused to complete the recall repair. Vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11761459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle is subject to active Safety Recall 26S28 for transmission lead frame and range sensor failure causing unexpected downshifts into 1st gear. Vehicle experienced downshifting symptoms creating severe road hazard and risk of rear-wheel lockup. Dealership cleared diagnostic trouble codes without saving freeze-frame logs, mis-entered VIN on billing estimates, and refused to complete the recall repair. Vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11761459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I am filing this complaint because a Ford-authorized dealership, West Hills Ford in Bremerton, Washington, returned my vehicle to me in an unsafe condition after performing a repair under federal safety recall 25S37 (NHTSA Campaign 25V-236, brake master cylinder), and because an independent inspection has since documented physical evidence of a real defect connected to that repair. Please see attached documents outlining this entire incident as well as supporting documentation.

NHTSA complaint #11761215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 170,000, and it was later discovered via a third party that the mileage was 250,000.

NHTSA complaint #11761260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

On XXX, my [XXX] son was driving this 2017 Ford F-150 when the transmission suddenly downshifted while traveling on the road. The downshift was severe enough that the rear tires lost traction and the vehicle fishtailed, nearly resulting in an accident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealer on 8/18/2026. We reported the sudden downshift, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the condition. The dealer performed Ford Recall 26S28/NHTSA 26V-237 and campaign 19G01, and the vehicle was returned on XXX. On XXX, only two days after the recall repair, the engine unexpectedly shut off while the vehicle was being driven. It restarted afterward. On XXX, the engine again unexpectedly stalled while the vehicle was moving. When the engine stopped, power-steering assist was lost and the driver had to coast the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The engine restarted immediately. When attempting to drive away, the transmission appeared to be starting in approximately third gear rather than first gear. After the vehicle was moving, the transmission eventually began operating normally again. Ford Customer Relationship Center was notified on XXX and formally documented these incidents. The vehicle is available for inspection. I am concerned because the original sudden downshift closely resembles the safety defect addressed by Recall 26V-237/26S28, and serious intermittent stalling and abnormal transmission operation have continued after the recall remedy was performed. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate these post-recall safety symptoms and whether the recall remedy adequately addresses the underlying defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11760892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Driving back from tri cities and when we were on I5 the transmission abruptly shifted down and went to a very high RPM. Was able to limp off the freeway by UW, and then drove home slowly. Had it trailered by the dealership i had just bought it from and they brought it to a shop where they said the transmission needed replaced.

NHTSA complaint #11760894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

On XXX, my [XXX] son was driving this 2017 Ford F-150 when the transmission suddenly downshifted while traveling on the road. The downshift was severe enough that the rear tires lost traction and the vehicle fishtailed, nearly resulting in an accident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealer on 8/18/2026. We reported the sudden downshift, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the condition. The dealer performed Ford Recall 26S28/NHTSA 26V-237 and campaign 19G01, and the vehicle was returned on XXX. On XXX, only two days after the recall repair, the engine unexpectedly shut off while the vehicle was being driven. It restarted afterward. On XXX, the engine again unexpectedly stalled while the vehicle was moving. When the engine stopped, power-steering assist was lost and the driver had to coast the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The engine restarted immediately. When attempting to drive away, the transmission appeared to be starting in approximately third gear rather than first gear. After the vehicle was moving, the transmission eventually began operating normally again. Ford Customer Relationship Center was notified on XXX and formally documented these incidents. The vehicle is available for inspection. I am concerned because the original sudden downshift closely resembles the safety defect addressed by Recall 26V-237/26S28, and serious intermittent stalling and abnormal transmission operation have continued after the recall remedy was performed. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate these post-recall safety symptoms and whether the recall remedy adequately addresses the underlying defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11760892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

On XXX, my [XXX] son was driving this 2017 Ford F-150 when the transmission suddenly downshifted while traveling on the road. The downshift was severe enough that the rear tires lost traction and the vehicle fishtailed, nearly resulting in an accident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealer on 8/18/2026. We reported the sudden downshift, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the condition. The dealer performed Ford Recall 26S28/NHTSA 26V-237 and campaign 19G01, and the vehicle was returned on XXX. On XXX, only two days after the recall repair, the engine unexpectedly shut off while the vehicle was being driven. It restarted afterward. On XXX, the engine again unexpectedly stalled while the vehicle was moving. When the engine stopped, power-steering assist was lost and the driver had to coast the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The engine restarted immediately. When attempting to drive away, the transmission appeared to be starting in approximately third gear rather than first gear. After the vehicle was moving, the transmission eventually began operating normally again. Ford Customer Relationship Center was notified on XXX and formally documented these incidents. The vehicle is available for inspection. I am concerned because the original sudden downshift closely resembles the safety defect addressed by Recall 26V-237/26S28, and serious intermittent stalling and abnormal transmission operation have continued after the recall remedy was performed. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate these post-recall safety symptoms and whether the recall remedy adequately addresses the underlying defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11760892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

In late July 2026, my son received a Ford safety recall notice (Recall #26S28) for his 2017 F 150 requiring a PCM software update. I brought the truck to Crown Motors in Redding on August 11th for the recall service. Before this appointment, the truck had no performance issues. Immediately after picking up the truck, a noticeable pinging sound occurred under acceleration. I returned the vehicle on August 12th, where Crown Motors confirmed the issue and advised spark plug replacement. This did not resolve the problem. I was also told that continued driving could damage the engine, so the truck remained at the dealership. Over the following days, Crown Motors worked with Ford engineering and repeatedly attempted software-related fixes. Crown staff informed me they believed the recall update caused the issue, and the first internal Ford team reportedly agreed. However, on August 25th, Ford’s second internal review determined the software update was not responsible and stated that all repair costs would fall on me—despite the clear timeline showing the problem began immediately after the recall service. Customer Service provided no assistance and refused to escalate my concern. As a result, my truck is currently non-operational, Crown Motors does not have a fix, and Ford will not cover repairs triggered only after Ford’s own safety recall. According to NHTSA’s info, it seems Ford is obligated under Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. § 30111 et seq.) to repair the vehicle. I am requesting that Ford acknowledge responsibility for the recall related issue and cover the necessary repairs. I am deeply concerned at the lack of support and accountability shown throughout this process from Ford. I am resubmitting this info, not sure if my first attempt worked. I had an issue with my internet browser.

NHTSA complaint #11760926 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

This lead frame issue is never ending. Well over a decade without a proper remedy. I’m very familiar with it. but this one nearly ended my life. After the near collision I called my mechanic and bought a new ford lead frame from a dealership. It’s doing fine now, it’s been 1 year. the incident caused my truck to go into park or possibly reverse at highway speed just as I passed a semi truck and returned to the right lane. If the trucker had not been paying attention it would have been bad. There was nothing I could do. . On top of this, he was under the impression that it was intentional. So I almost got into a physical altercation until I convinced him to look inside my truck as my gear indicator light was dancing from gear to gear while not touching anything.. To add to the seriousness, my taillamps never came on because I didn’t touch the brake. It was a horrible timing.. . Shortly after this i received a notice from Ford explaining the cause and symptoms of this issue, but then stated there was no fix at the time, but the vehicle was “safe to drive.” That is irresponsible. This was the only time mine did it, no prior issues. I got new ford parts and had it replaced. my mechanic said they deal with this weekly! Then I get a letter from Ford saying there is a fix and it’s a computer programming issue which is totally not true. That’s just a smoke screen, but it also goes on to say it could be a lead frame and if you’ve already fixed it before you got a letter, they will refund your money, but I highly doubt that. But they should stop claiming these vehicles are safe to drive because they absolutely are not if they’re having an issue regarding recall 26S28. So not only did i use new Ford parts, I paid a reputable EX Ford Technician Who owns his own business to perform the services because ford didn’t offer a fix. only to waste my time reprogramming the ecm. I work, I don’t have time.It’s irresponsible to say it’s not a safety concern. It’s just bad policy

NHTSA complaint #11760515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This lead frame issue is never ending. Well over a decade without a proper remedy. I’m very familiar with it. but this one nearly ended my life. After the near collision I called my mechanic and bought a new ford lead frame from a dealership. It’s doing fine now, it’s been 1 year. the incident caused my truck to go into park or possibly reverse at highway speed just as I passed a semi truck and returned to the right lane. If the trucker had not been paying attention it would have been bad. There was nothing I could do. . On top of this, he was under the impression that it was intentional. So I almost got into a physical altercation until I convinced him to look inside my truck as my gear indicator light was dancing from gear to gear while not touching anything.. To add to the seriousness, my taillamps never came on because I didn’t touch the brake. It was a horrible timing.. . Shortly after this i received a notice from Ford explaining the cause and symptoms of this issue, but then stated there was no fix at the time, but the vehicle was “safe to drive.” That is irresponsible. This was the only time mine did it, no prior issues. I got new ford parts and had it replaced. my mechanic said they deal with this weekly! Then I get a letter from Ford saying there is a fix and it’s a computer programming issue which is totally not true. That’s just a smoke screen, but it also goes on to say it could be a lead frame and if you’ve already fixed it before you got a letter, they will refund your money, but I highly doubt that. But they should stop claiming these vehicles are safe to drive because they absolutely are not if they’re having an issue regarding recall 26S28. So not only did i use new Ford parts, I paid a reputable EX Ford Technician Who owns his own business to perform the services because ford didn’t offer a fix. only to waste my time reprogramming the ecm. I work, I don’t have time.It’s irresponsible to say it’s not a safety concern. It’s just bad policy

NHTSA complaint #11760515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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?

NHTSA complaint #11760050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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?

NHTSA complaint #11760050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.