2023 Ford F-150 problems

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger side vertical LED drivers running light bar is out on 2023 Ford F-150 XLT Supercrew. Have heard and seen many Ford F150 trucks that have had this issue. Faulty LED diod heats and burns the light tube from which the light is generated. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECTIVE PART THAT MUST BE RECALLED AND REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #11757488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the brake system malfunction message displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle drove onto a hilly grass embankment before coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while loading the vehicle with motorcycles for an event. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but a diagnostic test was not performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,500.

NHTSA complaint #11755948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2023 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly lost power and was totally unresponsive. It slammed into gear and went back to normal operation. The transmission has been reset by the dealership several times and I'm told it's normal operation for it to slam into gear on the upshift and downshift. There are no lights or warnings. This occurred while I was crossing rail road tracks creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed.

NHTSA complaint #11755461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While towing a 6000 pound travel trailer 6/21/26, the brakes on the trailer failed. A trailer wiring fault message came up on the dash each time I braked. It is available for inspection. How was our safety put at risk??? Stopping distance was increased substantually. When you need to stop, you need to stop! The truck has been brought to the dealer 4 times prior to this for the same problem. One of those times was for the recall on the trailer brake, May of 2026. The first time the truck was taken to the dealer for the warning message was April of 2025. The trailer was taken to the RV dealer after the incident (on my Oct 2025 visit, the dealer told me the problem was with the trailer. I wanted to rule that out). The RV dealer found no problem with the trailer brakes, and determined the problem is with the truck. The truck was then taken to the dealer July 23 with "Trailer Brake Module Fault" message every time it is started. It remains at the dealer now. They believe it is the trailer brake control module. The module is on backorder with no estimated time for repair.

NHTSA complaint #11755242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

While towing a 6000 pound travel trailer 6/21/26, the brakes on the trailer failed. A trailer wiring fault message came up on the dash each time I braked. It is available for inspection. How was our safety put at risk??? Stopping distance was increased substantually. When you need to stop, you need to stop! The truck has been brought to the dealer 4 times prior to this for the same problem. One of those times was for the recall on the trailer brake, May of 2026. The first time the truck was taken to the dealer for the warning message was April of 2025. The trailer was taken to the RV dealer after the incident (on my Oct 2025 visit, the dealer told me the problem was with the trailer. I wanted to rule that out). The RV dealer found no problem with the trailer brakes, and determined the problem is with the truck. The truck was then taken to the dealer July 23 with "Trailer Brake Module Fault" message every time it is started. It remains at the dealer now. They believe it is the trailer brake control module. The module is on backorder with no estimated time for repair.

NHTSA complaint #11755242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

275/50 R22 I was driving on a major interstate approximately 65 mph when a strong vibration was felt. As I started to move to the shoulder and slow down, the tread detached from the tire. The tire remained on the vehicle but the tread delaminated and was in the middle of the highway. This caused significant (>$11k) damages to the truck. I sent the tire to Continental and they declined taking liability for the tire failure. However, this happened to another owner a week or two after my issue and they had the same tire with only 30k miles. Additionally, there is already a recall on the same type of tire (different size) from last year due to tire delamination. This is a serious safety issue that could result in fatalities.

NHTSA complaint #11754535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Delayed/unexpected transmission gear changes. The transmission delays downshifts at slow speeds causing the vehicle to not accelerate when acceleration is needed. This causes a huge safety issue when maneuvering in traffic (for example). Please help me with a solution to this.

NHTSA complaint #11754322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2023 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission has suddenly lost propulsion, jerked, and hard down shifted impacting braking. This occurred while trying to merge onto freeways and making turns into lanes containing traffic, creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuits. I've also experienced similar issues with this transmission after warranty repairs had been completed.

NHTSA complaint #11754167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2023 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly shifts down violently from 10th to 8th gear, and rapidly jumping from 10th to 8th to 10th, causing harsh shifts. This occurred while driving on a highway or above 60mph. Just cruising and traveling. creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed.

NHTSA complaint #11754209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The torque converter inside my transmission on my 2023 f-150 “started coming apart” and has spread metal throughout my entire transmission and transmission cooler. There was no warning signs or lights that were shown to me other than when I noticed the problem which prompted me to immediately set up an appointment with my local ford dealer for a diagnosis and check up. It is a safety hazard because it can cause Sudden Gear Slippage & Power Loss: The torque converter may lose its ability to transfer power to the transmission, causing sudden drops in acceleration or unintended revving where the engine speeds up but the vehicle does not. This is extremely dangerous when trying to merge onto highways.Violent Shuddering: A faulty lockup clutch causes a harsh bucking sensation—often described as driving over a heavy rumble strip—usually between 35 and 70 mph. This can cause a sudden loss of vehicle control.Severe Overheating: Slippage and failing parts generate massive amounts of excess friction and heat. This boiled transmission fluid can melt internal seals, leading to fluid leaks, permanent clutch damage, and a potential engine bay fire if the fluid hits hot engine components. It can also cause Unintended Stalling and the vehicle shut off at stop lights or when driving. The truck is only 3 years old with 70,000 miles which is just outside of the powertrain 65,000 mile warranty. It was investigated and diagnosed by Trilakes ford in Branson. It has since been brought up to ford for a goodwill warranty claim to see what they can do to help with the $13,682 repair cost estimate that was given to me.

NHTSA complaint #11752501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The driver's side headlamp has a significant amount of shadows within the beam. This is in both the low beam and high beam modes. The shadows are highly visible on the road, and create a significant distraction while driving. This distraction is made significantly worse by the vehicles adaptive headlight system, as the shadows move on the road then you turn the steering wheel. The causes the driver's eyes to focus on the moving shadows, rather than on the road ahead. Additionally, the shadows in the headlamp significantly reduce visibility on the driver's side of the car, making it far more difficult to see animals or debris in the road. The vehicle was purchased new and the issue has been prevalent since the very beginning. Ford customer service will not help. Ford dealers tell me that the see the issues, and it should be that way, but are unwilling to replace the headlamp assembly because the cannot determine the root case (code), and are fearful that Ford will just charge them back for the warrant repair.

NHTSA complaint #11752362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Since shortly after buying my F-150 truck, I have had an ongoing issue with the Brake problem notification light coming on. I have spoken to the local Ford Dealership about this issue several times and had no resolution. They told me they could do an inspection, but it would cost me over $500, and only if they found a warranty issue that they were responsible for would they reimburse me the cost of the inspection. They also said that if the notification light was not on when they did the inspection, they would be unlikely to find an issue even if one existed. The warning light can go days or weeks without appearing and can stay on anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so. I have tried to get the truck to the dealership several times, but it always goes off before I can get there (the dealership is about 40 minutes drive from my house). I am concerned because the warning light comes on more often these days but I still can not get the truck to the dealership with the light on. As the issue appears to be increasing in frequency, I am getting more concerned. The first time this appeared was approximately August 2024.

NHTSA complaint #11752520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's tire was flat. The vehicle was driven to a nearby church parking lot. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an abnormal speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while making a right turn. The vehicle was driven to the residence and inspected. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side tire had been rubbing against the brake line bracket. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 49,270.

NHTSA complaint #11751549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving down the highway and the right, rear window shattered and blew glass all over the inside of my truck (the cab). There was no incident, no stress cracks, etc. The window simply “exploded”. I drove to the nearest Ford Dealership, assuming it would be covered under my bumper to bumper warranty. After the dealership had my vehicle a full week, they informed me Ford would not pay. I told them to order the window and replace it as I needed my vehicle back. I ended up being without my truck for two weeks. I paid $591.60 and called Ford today, to ask for reimbursement. I was told they cannot do so as the warranty only covers “windshields” for 12 months. I reminded the agent that this is a rear passenger window to no avail. After a little research, I’ve found that hundreds of F-150 owners have had this occur. *My granddaughter could have been in that seat as it was the rear passenger seat! This is a dangerous issue. I am still cleaning up glass, I continue to find all over the cab.

NHTSA complaint #11749988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

driving approximately 20 miles an hour, gently applying the brake as I was approaching a stoplight when the brake suddenly engaged forcefully causing the car to jerk to a stop unexpectedly. There was a warning across the dash that said " forward collision is not available" and that disappeared. A local dealership said this was an ABS issue and reprogrammed it.

NHTSA complaint #11749360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

driving approximately 20 miles an hour, gently applying the brake as I was approaching a stoplight when the brake suddenly engaged forcefully causing the car to jerk to a stop unexpectedly. There was a warning across the dash that said " forward collision is not available" and that disappeared. A local dealership said this was an ABS issue and reprogrammed it.

NHTSA complaint #11749360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

driving approximately 20 miles an hour, gently applying the brake as I was approaching a stoplight when the brake suddenly engaged forcefully causing the car to jerk to a stop unexpectedly. There was a warning across the dash that said " forward collision is not available" and that disappeared. A local dealership said this was an ABS issue and reprogrammed it.

NHTSA complaint #11749360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were on backorder. The contact was concerned that the failure might occur while driving in an area where there was no phone service as the residence was in the countryside. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were on backorder. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint #11747158 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Hello, My range should be 320 mph on my F150 lightning. It is 226 fully charged was lower the last charge. This effects safety, time and money wheh traveling. I took it to the dealer and they said that there is nothing they can do. That I should run the range down to zero miles and that should reset the range. That didnt work. I have had several propulsion proplems. So many that I won a Lemon law suit. According to the NHTSA the range loss is tied to the systematic battery or drivetrain defect and ford refuses to honor my warranty and my extended warranty or address a potiential safety hazzard.

NHTSA complaint #11746384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Today 6/18/2026 I was stopped at a stoplight and the engine cut off as if often does and when the light changed and I stepped on the gas instead of restarting the car went into park and remained off until I restarted the truck. This is similar to the safety issue built into the truck if stopped and the front door is opened the truck automatically goes into park. This is the second time it has happened in the past year- the truck being stopped at a light and the engine stops running and when I step on the gas instead of restarting it has gone into park.

NHTSA complaint #11745047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There is a manufacturing defect that is causing water to to enter the vehicle when driving in the rain. Where this becomes a significant safety issue is that the water enters somewhere near the bottom of the windshield (source still not determined) and runs down the pillar over the fuse box and BCM (neither is protected from the water). This could lead to an electrical short on any of the major modules of the vehicle unpredictably. the leak is confirmed but source is still to be determined by the dealership after 2 visits. In searching the web, this seems to be a fairly common issue on this generation of F150 trucks. I'll attach the pictures I could get but can never get one with the water actually coming in live

NHTSA complaint #11744763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

There is a manufacturing defect that is causing water to to enter the vehicle when driving in the rain. Where this becomes a significant safety issue is that the water enters somewhere near the bottom of the windshield (source still not determined) and runs down the pillar over the fuse box and BCM (neither is protected from the water). This could lead to an electrical short on any of the major modules of the vehicle unpredictably. the leak is confirmed but source is still to be determined by the dealership after 2 visits. In searching the web, this seems to be a fairly common issue on this generation of F150 trucks. I'll attach the pictures I could get but can never get one with the water actually coming in live

NHTSA complaint #11744763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

There is a manufacturing defect that is causing water to to enter the vehicle when driving in the rain. Where this becomes a significant safety issue is that the water enters somewhere near the bottom of the windshield (source still not determined) and runs down the pillar over the fuse box and BCM (neither is protected from the water). This could lead to an electrical short on any of the major modules of the vehicle unpredictably. the leak is confirmed but source is still to be determined by the dealership after 2 visits. In searching the web, this seems to be a fairly common issue on this generation of F150 trucks. I'll attach the pictures I could get but can never get one with the water actually coming in live

NHTSA complaint #11744763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.