The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. While the contact's son was driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and remained stuck in first or second gear. In addition, the engine revved while the accelerator pedal was not depressed, and the speedometer was inoperable. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission lead frame failure. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty extension associated with the failure had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
2013 Ford F-150: stuck in gear or won't shift
195 of the 2,994 complaints about the 2013 Ford F-150 describe stuck in gear or won't shift.
- owner complaints
- 195
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,200
- typical mileage
- 89,900
- recalls
- 2
Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year
What owners say
The truck randomly hard downshifts and the gauges stop working and it wont shift back out of third gear. I can stop the truck and shut it off and when I turn it back on it still will be in third gear. If I turn it to manual sometimes I can get it to go down to second but it is a hard shift and then will hard shift back into third and stay. A wrench light comes on and sometimes I will get a check engine light that reads when scanned "output shaft speed sensor circuit." It has been doing this sporadically for over a year since my recall was fixed.
Truck will not shift into the correct gears when driving, would jump from 1st to a higher gear, it would shift weird and would lose the dash gauges when the truck was shifting.
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.
Despite the federal safety agency and Ford stating the "recall" has been fixed on my 2013 Ford F150, my truck still performs the exact symptoms of a Transmission molded leadframe failure. Not only my safety, but the safety of others was put as risk when my truck suddenly downshifted into what appeared to first gear, while traveling on the road, with no indication. I lost power and was no longer able to move at the speed of traffic. Had this happened at highway speed I would have almost certainly lost traction and could have crashed. I was sitll forced to take evasive action and move to the side of the road, where my truck would not shift out of first gear until after a full restart. No warning lights, lamps, or other messages were displayed before or after the incident.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and remained stuck in first gear. The contact was able to drive to a residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a transmission recall associated with the failure was completed. Additionally, the contact was informed that the leadframe needed to be replaced; however, the repair was not covered under Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19N01 (Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended Coverage) because the coverage had expired a week prior to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle later remained stuck in first gear and failed to exceed 20 MPH, with the powertrain warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Lead frame. It is currently scheduled to be replaced for ~$915. XXX- Vehicle suddenly downshifted hard into first gear, all gages dropped to 0 values and then remained in limp mode until powering it off and then back on. The wrench was lit up on the dash initially but went away with no code stored after restarting. XXX- Vehicle experienced sudden, hard downshift again, this time to third gear. Speedometer dropped to 0mph and odometer dropped to 0 miles. The wrench came on. The problem resolved after turning off and then restarting it. Again, no codes were found stored. XXX- The truck experienced the same symptoms again, but this time restarting it didn't help. The truck would stay in limp mode in either 1st or 3rd gear. I "limped" it to an Autozone while the wrench was still on the dash and the OBDII scanner found the codes P0720, P0722 and P0731. I limped it from there to XX Ford where they reprogrammed the transmission based on the 19S07 recall. After reprogramming it Waldorf Ford said it was still having issues and that diagnosing it would cost $199. I opted to take it to a trusted transmission shop around the corner (XXX transmissions in [XXX]) and had them diagnose it and now have the work scheduled to be performed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The orange wrench symbol was displayed. The contact pulled over for five minutes, and the computer was reset. After the vehicle was restarted, the vehicle operated normally. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the wheel speed sensor. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.
Truck unexpectedly downshifts into first gear and refuses to leave first. Wrench icon appears, speedometer and odometer stop working, truck enters "limp mode". OEM reading DTCs P0720, P0722.
transmission is locking itself into either 3rd or 5th gear and will not shift. sometimes it will lock itself in 1st gear and not shift.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear wheels seized, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and a mobile technician performed the recall repair under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) at the residence; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPMs were high, and the rear wheels seized briefly. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact retrieved DTC: P0720 (Output Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction). The dealer was notified of the recurring failure but provided no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,814.
The transmission software update only made it worse. The transmission is deciding to shift into 5th gear wrench comes on the no speedometer no information in the information center airbag light comes on radio gets quieter or I have experienced the first shift sudden downshift at 65 mph back tires are hopping on the tar and now everyday it's stuck in first gear for a while I have to shut off the truck and it might reset or I have to turn it off for more than 5 minutes and then it might reset or go in third to start with no speedometer no information and the information center airbag light on this is a safety hazard and it should be an open free recall to replace the bad components inside the transmission from 2013 on up before somebody dies because of a sudden downshift
Service bulletins that may apply
- Grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area
- This program extends the warranty coverage of the automatic transmission molded leadframe to 10 years of...
- Intermittent grinding noise while driving in 2-wheel drive (2WD) mode most commonly on acceleration
- Intermittent grinding noise while driving in 2-wheel drive (2WD) mode most commonly on acceleration
- Intermittent grinding noise while driving in two wheel drive (2WD) mode most commonly on acceleration
- Certain 2011
- On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be...
- Certain 2011
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V‑075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
- Risk
- Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S19.
Recall number 19V433000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
- Risk
- Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
Recall number 19V075000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2013 Ford F-150 won't shift
Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 2013 Ford F-150?
195 of 2,994 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford F-150 (7%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
How much does it cost to fix stuck in gear or won't shift on the 2013 Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 18 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Ford F-150?
There are 2 recalls and 25 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Ford F-150
Check engine light 338Loss of power 257Stalling 157Brake failure 128Jerking 104Power steering loss 95Airbag light 73Engine failure 63Fuel pump 59Transmission failure 51Hesitation 49Shudder 47Won't start 46Harsh shifting 42Grinding brakes 40Adaptive cruise 34Misfire 34Fire or smoke 29Steering lock-up 28Overheating 27Slipping 24Knocking 19Door locks 17No deployment 16Backup camera 16ABS 13Spongy pedal 13Screen failure 12Sudden acceleration 12Sunroof shattered 10Wipers 9Battery drain 8Fuel gauge 7Steering noise 7Tire blowout 7Warning lights 6Headlights 5Key fob 5
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