2,840 of the
48,021 complaints filed about the Ford F-150
are about the throttle and cruise control —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2013.
2,840
Complaints
100%
Share of all complaints
199
Crashes
621
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
My 2015 Ford F-150 experienced multiple sudden downshifts at highway speeds 75 mph and then started downshifting at lower speeds. Heavy clunking heard and wrench warning lamp came on with a very general warning message and turned both off after moving to the side of the highway and restarting the car. Warning sign returned while driving at significantly lower speeds on city streets, locked up tires when turning from a low speed twice. Extremely unsafe and could have caused a serious accident if people were following close behind me. Took it to the dealership to get repaired and they diagnosed DTC P0722 (Output Shaft Speed Sensor - No Signal) and confirmed that the signal failure caused the transmission to lock in 3rd gear and operate at maximum line pressure. Technician notes it resulted in damage to forward, direct, and overdrive clutches and recommended the replacement of the entire transmission ($5,739 for parts). I paid $8,636.93 out-of-pocket at a Ford dealership for this service repair.
NHTSA complaint #11763766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORD CORPORATE CASE NUMBER: CXH-09262770. My 2015 Ford F-150 has experienced sudden, dangerous transmission downshifts at highway speeds that nearly caused a fatal collision. I complied with Ford's mandatory Recall 26S28 software flash, but the dangerous hardware symptoms remain active. The vehicle is currently grounded and unsafe to drive at the dealership lot, but Ford Corporate is denying the physical lead frame replacement due to narrow diagnostic code restrictions."
NHTSA complaint #11762867 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX], I was driving westbound from Missouri into Oklahoma in my 2021 Ford F-150 XL. While traveling approximately 75 mph on the highway, I moved into the passing lane to overtake another vehicle. As I accelerated and applied additional throttle to pass, the transmission downshifted into passing gear. After completing the pass, the vehicle continued to accelerate on its own even after I released the accelerator pedal. The engine remained at a high throttle setting, and the truck increased speed to approximately 85 mph. At that time, I was not using cruise control, nor had I pressed the cruise control switch, which was involved in a previous acceleration-related incident I experienced with this vehicle. To regain control, I carefully created distance from surrounding traffic, applied the brakes, and maneuvered the vehicle onto the shoulder. After coming to a stop well off the roadway, I shifted the vehicle into Park and turned off the engine. I then restarted the truck, and the unintended acceleration condition was no longer present. Because of the incident, I did not attempt to use the cruise control system again during the trip, and I avoided using heavy throttle or passing gear out of concern that the condition could reoccur. The vehicle has since been inspected by a Ford dealership. As of this report, their evaluation has not identified the cause of the problem, and no fault has been found despite the incident occurring on the highway. This incident created a significant safety concern because the vehicle continued to accelerate after the accelerator pedal was released, resulting in an unexpected increase in speed and requiring me to pull off the highway and shut off the vehicle to regain normal operation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11761702 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11760420 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Execution of manufacturer safety recall service resulted in immediate, catastrophic transmission malfunction and sudden loss of motive power upon leaving the franchised dealership, creating an imminent road hazard. Details of the Incident: Recall Intake: On XXX, the vehicle was driven into the authorized Ford dealership Cloninger Ford of Morganton in [XXX] under its own power for an open manufacturer safety recall involving the transmission molded leadframe and PCM software update to prevent sudden, unintended downshifts. Immediate Failure Post-Service: After technicians completed the recall service and returned the keys, the vehicle was driven out of the dealership lot. Upon reaching normal road speed and shifting from 3rd to 4th gear (less than 0.2 miles from the service bay), the transmission violently malfunctioned, lost forward drive engagement, and rendered the truck completely disabled and undrivable in active traffic. No road test was performed by the dealership prior to releasing the vehicle. Safety Risk: The sudden failure and inability to shift gears properly left the vehicle stranded in roadway traffic, presenting an immediate collision risk. The vehicle had to be limped back into the dealership service drive immediately. Remedy Failure & Denial: The dealership acknowledged that the recall-mandated PCM software calibration update triggered the severe transmission failure. However, both the manufacturer and the dealer are now claiming the failure is a "pre-existing condition," refusing to complete the safety remedy without charging the owner $7,000 for a full transmission replacement. The safety defect that prompted the recall was not remedied and was instead exacerbated to total mechanical failure during execution of the recall procedure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11760331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11759870 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My truck was parked on a slight slope in my driveway. I got in to move the truck to my normal parking space. When I started the truck I noticed the emergency brake was on. I put the truck into drive- the truck accelerated with my foot on the brake. The truck struck the corner of my deck and didn't stop until I hit the corner at my house. I had the brake pushed to the firewall and the truck would kept accelerating. Thankfully the airbags did not deploy. Significant damage was done to my house and my truck.
NHTSA complaint #11758987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2014 Ford F-150 was previously included in Ford Safety Recall 24S37 regarding unintended transmission downshifts caused by an intermittent Output Shaft Speed (OSS) sensor issue. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford mobile technician on January 20, 2026. No qualifying codes were found at that time, and the recall was closed under my VIN. The recall involved the risk of an unintended downshift into first gear that could result in loss of vehicle control. On August 20, 2026, while my husband was driving approximately 40-50 mph, the truck suddenly downshifted and rapidly lost speed. The vehicle would not accelerate beyond approximately 10-15 mph and had to be moved into a parking lot to avoid remaining in traffic. After parking, the truck would no longer move under its own power. The wrench warning light illuminated and the vehicle became undrivable. The symptoms experienced appear substantially similar to those described in Recall 24S37. The dealership has indicated that the current failure may involve the transmission lead frame and speed sensor system, but I am concerned that this event may be related to the same transmission downshift condition addressed by the recall. I am requesting that NHTSA document and review this incident.
NHTSA complaint #11758660 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11758186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11758129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11757699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When using cruise control (Blue Cruise fully automated driving or just regular cruise control), The truck changes the speed setting to 90MPH without any driver input and begins sudden acceleration. This has happened multiple times in speed limit areas from 70-75 on the interstate. The truck clearly displays the correct speed limit on the dash. The driver set speed of 70-77 is suddenly changed to 90 MPH (you can see it on the dash) without any driver input. This has happened multiple times (I live in a rural area). The vehicle only has 1,100 miles. No warning lights come on. Breaking will stop the sudden acceleration. This is a very dangerous situation and needs to be fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11757210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was at my granddaughters and I went to leave and it was like dead except the wrench came up in the dash panel , I waited before calling my husband and I went back to try and start it again and it started no wrench in the display or anything , this was in February 2026. In March of 2026 I was in the middle turn lane on [XXX] by Tuttle, Ok. And it stalled as I was trying to turn and would not move I put it back into park and then back to drive and it turned . Next incident was in April2026 and I was on [XXX] south of Mustang , Ok. And I was in the passing lane passing a vehicle going 65 mph and it just stalled and went down into 1 st gear I managed to get it to the shoulder of road an then it died it would not start but the radio and lights were still on and there was a wrench popped up in the panel . I waited for about 30 minutes and kept trying to start it after several attempts it started again and I made it home . The next incident my husband drove to doctors office and it did the same thing to him and would not move in the parking lot . About 15 minutes later he got it to start and he made it home . We quit driving it. Then we got a letter from Ford with the recall 26V237 .i waited for 2 nd letter and had not gotten it with a fix for it so I called the Ford Service Repir Center and they got us on the phone connected to a Ford Dealership in Yukon , Ok and they came and got the pickup on August 10 th and took it and brought it back on August 11 th and they did the soft ware update and told us no codes came up and we know better . When I had previously talked to the Ford Repair Center I was told if the wrench came up that they would replace the lead frame at no cost to us and give us a 150000 mile warranty. So it is now our word against the mechanics that the wrench ever came up INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756379 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ford Motor Company put out a recall on the PCM. I had the recall performed and it has caused more damage to my truck. It now has eratic shifting, stuck gears, and going into limpmode. Ford Forums show that this is an ongoing issue after the reset is performed creating an unsafe vehicle to drive. The check engine light is now on and was not prior to this recall reset.
NHTSA complaint #11756355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving, especially from a low gear (2-5), the transmission will downshift to 1, high revving, and then slam back into 4 or 5th, depending on where it downshifted. Sometimes the rapid acceleration causes the back of the truck to start to break lose. I notice this alot when trying to get up to speed, and can usually take my foot off pedal and it will slow the vehicle and upshift.
NHTSA complaint #11756057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I bought my f150 a year ago. now I’m experiencing timing issues, Vvt solenoid failure (all four) . Loss of power, limp mode, failure to shift etc … I’ve had several mechanics look at it .
NHTSA complaint #11754844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My truck has shown wrench on dash multiple times, dropped gear several times suddenly. Less than 10 years old but over 150,000 miles so Ford has agreed to a fix under extended warranty program 26N04. Unfortunately they were allowed to add the phrase whichever comes first. This eliminates me from getting them to fix the cause which is the lead frame module. A PCM will not fix a bad part. This is a dangerous safety issue that should be fixed by Ford. Please save lives and get them to replace all lead frame modules if code finds it bad. It could affect anyone’s family member if an accident results.
NHTSA complaint #11754626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power while approaching a stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into a Chevrolet Tahoe. The wrench symbol warning light was illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The air bags deployed as intended. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company towed the vehicle to the total loss yard, where the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 310,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11753426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.