2015 Ford F-150: jerking or lurching

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Transmission · TX

2015 Ford F-150 Platinum, 6-speed automatic. Ford recall 26S28 (the federal safety agency campaign 26V‑237, PCM software update for unintended transmission downshift) was performed at All Star Ford, [XXX]. BEFORE the recall service, this truck ran smoothly, quietly, and flawlessly. AFTER the PCM update, the transmission developed severe jerking and hard downshifting that never existed before the recall work. The dealership has held my vehicle since XXX. The mandatory post-update reset drive was skipped after the first update; the recall has since been re-performed twice and the malfunction persists - it was directly caused by the recall calibration. On XXX, the general manager stated the vehicle was "safe to drive" yet admitted he could not guarantee no further operational or safety issues would occur, and confirmed Ford engineers currently have no fix. I was also told Ford halted work because this recall update damaged my vehicle and thousands of others. I have been without my vehicle since May 2026. The recall remedy has rendered my vehicle unsafe to drive. I am filing so the federal safety agency is aware the 26S28 remedy is producing new transmission malfunctions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Transmission · OH

I was driving on the highway at 70mph when the truck started jerking and downshifting from 6th gear to 1st gear erratically. I pulled off the highway and the gears continued shifting all over the place and then the wrench light see manual warning came on and the truck stopped completely. I had it towed to the dealership who said they would complete the fix for the recall but that the transmission cooler line also needed fixed which would cost $1226.00. They said I probably ran over something, which I did not. I believe the sudden and violent downshifting which is the recall caused this to break and should be included. This was a terrifying situation where I was almost in a car accident. The truck is not drivable and I have also had to pay for two tows now because this is also not covered in the recall.

Filed Mar 29, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · LA

Vehicle unexpectedly down shifting while driving causing vechile to jerk. After parking truck, truck presents a no start condition and unlit gear selector lights. While driving truck will go in and out of limp mode. I have scheduled a appointment to bring the truck in for a diagnostic test 03/31/2026.

Filed Mar 28, 2026 · Transmission · WA

Noticeably rough transitions between gears, particularly in the 3-4 and 4-5 shift ranges. sometimes a jerking sensation before shifting gears, not consistent. took vehicle to transmission shop. they found nothing mechanically wrong with transmission.

Filed Feb 21, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · TX

1. System Failed: Power Train (Transmission). Component Failed: The 6R80 6-speed automatic transmission, specifically the internal lead frame and the direct drum. Inspection: No, the failed unit was replaced on December 19, 2025, but itemized diagnostic reports and repair invoices from both a Ford dealer and an independent shop are available for inspection. 2. The vehicle experienced sudden, unexpected downshifting and a temporary loss of power while in motion. These incidents occurred frequently and randomly, particularly while accelerating or traversing inclines, creating "unsafe driving scenarios" where the vehicle could have been rear-ended or lost traction due to abrupt gear changes. Furthermore, the vehicle eventually entered "limp mode," where it would "buck" during shifts and fail to accelerate under load, leaving the driver vulnerable in traffic. 3. Yes, by both. Independent Center: Super Tech Automotive confirmed on December 11, 2025, that the transmission line pressure dropped from 158 psi to 20 psi under load, causing the vehicle to go into "limp mode". Dealer: South West Ford Service Department verified the concerns on December 16, 2025, documenting a "torque converter shudder" and "direct drum failure" with "excessive metal debris in fluid". 4. Yes. The vehicle was inspected by a manufacturer-authorized dealer, South West Ford Service Department, on December 16, 2025 (Service Advisor Ryan Forbis; Transmission Specialist 'Dietrich'). 5. Yes. Symptoms: The symptoms first appeared in August 2025 as a "sudden, temporary loss of power or unexpected down-shifting". Warning Lamps: Initially, no warning lights or error codes were produced, which prevented early detection during multiple diagnostic attempts. Later Symptoms: On December 11, 2025, the SES (Service Engine Soon) Light finally appeared when the truck entered "limp mode". Prior to the total failure, the transmission also exhibited "harsh/jerky downshifts" and would "hang up in gear".

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Transmission · TX

I own a 2015 Ford F-150 with approximately 175,000 miles. I have experienced intermittent hard shifting at low speeds for many years. During normal driving, the transmission occasionally shifts very harshly, producing a loud knocking noise and causing the truck to jerk unexpectedly. I do not recall the exact first occurrence, but the hard shifting has been happening since I have owned the truck. I never thought much of it until recently reading about a transmission investigation for similar F-150 models. In December 2025, I experienced a particularly severe hard shift. During this incident, the truck jerked extremely hard and the powertrain warning light momentarily illuminated. This felt unsafe and unexpected. I had the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic, but no diagnostic trouble codes were found at the time of inspection. Despite this, the hard shifting continues to occur intermittently. This issue is a safety concern due to the sudden and harsh movement of the vehicle without warning.

Filed Jan 8, 2026 · Transmission · AL

When accelerating and decelerating the vehicle jerks and responds erratically. We had just had it at the dealership for its 80k mile maintenance. They did a transmission flush. We thought it was related but when we brought it back in, we were told that the mold leadframe would require replacing.

Filed Jan 1, 2026 · Transmission · AZ

On [XXX], I was driving the vehicle and accelerating onto the [XXX] freeway from an on-ramp in northern Phoenix, Arizona. During acceleration, the truck suddenly and violently downshifted, producing an abrupt jerking motion that forcibly displaced the vehicle out of the accelerating gear and into a lower gear without warning or driver input. The incident required us to exit the freeway and pull over. The event caused a momentary but pronounced loss of smooth propulsion at a critical merge point on to the freeway, creating an obvious risk of loss of control and collision with other motorists. The sudden lock-up and downshift, spike in RPMs, and deceleration were entirely inconsistent with normal operation and were objectively dangerous under highway-speed conditions. My passenger and I were jerked forward into our seatbelts. After this incident, I had the vehicle's transmission checked at a small shop, which stated they did not find any codes or issues, but recommended a full transmission rebuild at a cost of several thousand dollars. Finding no diagnostic codes or issues, I continued using my truck until it unexpectedly failed the following month on a freeway. In December 2025, while I was exiting a freeway in Mesa, Arizona, the F-150’s 6R80 transmission downshifted again without being prompted, causing similar critical safety concerns. But this time the transmission was stuck in gear and was unsafe to operate on the highway or city streets. It had to be towed. A repair shop determined that the output speed sensor was found faulty at all times with diagnostic trouble codes of P720, P0722, and P2535, requiring complete replacement of the Leadframe Assembly. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this is consistent with other recalls that Ford has issued related to the failure of its 6R80 transmissions in F-150s and similar vehicles for years 2011-2014, which are known to Ford to have a risk of crashing due to the sudden downshifting concerns. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)

Filed Dec 9, 2025 · Transmission · 120,000 miles · AR

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and jerked while responding. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D), the failure recurred, and the vehicle rolled backwards unintendedly. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to move forward while in drive(D) after several attempts; however, the vehicle jerked while responding. The contact stated that the transmission gauge needle moved to HOT. The message "See Owner’s Manual" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened, and the vehicle had failed to shift into gear and had become undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed because the dealer was booked. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Jun 15, 2025 · Transmission · NC

Transmission constantly shifts erratically. When this happens, the transmission gets stuck between 3rd and 5th gears and sometimes only stays in 5th gear, no matter how fast the truck is going or even if it is not moving. About half the time when this happens it causes a rough "jerk" and could cause loss of control. If you must stop at a stop sign or stop light when this happens then you're impeding traffic just trying to get back up to speed after your stop, which could lead to an accident. This also causes the check engine light to come on.

Filed Mar 24, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · WI

[XXX]: check engine light was on and codes P2196 and P2198 were present. The dealer suspected it was the purge valve, causing the problem so they replaced it and reset the codes. 10/10/24: I brought the truck in to have it looked at due to the check engine light being on again. I was told the lead frame needed to be replaced but was on backorder. The bill to diagnose this was 196.80 and I was told I could still drive it. On [XXX], I had to bring my truck in to be inspected because while I was going about 70 mph it all of a sudden downshifted and jerked me forward like it was going to abruptly stop. The check engine light came on and I had to drive pretty slow to avoid a breakdown on the interstate. Very scary to have this happen in interstate traffic It could have easily caused an accident. At this time, It was brought to my attention that the downshifting could also be related to technical bulletin 1495. Since we couldn’t get a real definitive answer on what was going on and the lead frame was on backorder, I decided to try and have the case connector in the bulletin removed and replaced as well as do a transmission tuneup on 10/23/24. This bill cost me $383.77. All codes were cleared and all appeared to be working correctly. On [XXX], I was driving on the interstate at about 70 mph and my truck seized up again and jerked forward, again scaring me and potentially causing an accident. I drove it very slowly directly to a repair shop. It was there until November 7, 2024 after the lead frame was replaced. That bill cost me $1321.68. I decided to file this complaint after I had seen a news article that this downshifting was being investigated for the same year as my 2015 Ford F150 for a safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 5, 2024 · Electrical, Transmission · 75,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked violently and downshifted unexpectedly to first gear. The shifting lights began to flash and then cleared. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle suddenly jerked and the engine revved. The gear selector lights were flashing. The instrument panel lights were flashing before starting to work as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.