2016 Ford F-150 acceleration problems

Filed Oct 24, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · CA

Ford finally sent me a recall notice just this year in May. I have called multiple dealers and Bomaritto ford in [XXX] told me 2 and a half years ago to bring my truck in and they'll replace the Lead frame free of charge however any dealerships I contacted in [XXX] denied any such recall. When I received the recall letter from ford it stated the transmission lead frame would be covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles. The truck was already 10 years old when I finally received a notice from ford. I ended up rebuilding the whole transmission myself and it cost me over $1500.00 in parts, not to mention I was without a vehicle for approx 2 months waiting on all the back ordered parts. The lead frame I installed was not a ford oem part. The service team in [XXX] told me either way, fird has to replace it with oem parts. I took it to crown ford in [XXX] and they refused to replace the Lead frame which had a check engine code as well. They claimed it was a software update was the problem. I believe that they deleted it from the tcm and ecu. Ford has done everything they possibly could to cover this up and they got the extended warranty to pay for the damaged rear differential which they used the old axle housing that was bent from the lock up and I have spent thousands of dollars in parts and alignments and the vehicle will not stay in alignment because of the damaged rear axle housing. The transfer case was never repaired or replaced also. They treated me completely horrible and lied about my vehicle ever having any recall for the transmission. They installed the 5 degree pinion angle shims to compensate for the rear axle shafts being twisted from the rear end locked up. Ford is not allowed to install them because it is a liability issue for them. They claimed that they were already on my vehicle which is a complete lie. I wouldn't even know where to get them since I can't even locate any online or at any auto part stores... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 18, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · IN

Had the recall done at a dealer and now the the software update didn't solve the problem it is now having the wrench and is downshifting periodically with no notice

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · NV

In mid-September 2026, I had safety recall 26S28 (the federal safety agency 26V‑237) performed on my 2016 Ford F-150 at Corwin Ford Reno in Reno, NV. The recall remedy was a powertrain control module software update intended to prevent unexpected transmission downshifts. Before the recall repair, the vehicle had no drivability problems of any kind. About three days after the recall repair, the truck began repeatedly losing acceleration while driving at highway speed. The vehicle would stop responding to the accelerator, and the wrench warning light came on in the instrument cluster. This happened on multiple occasions over several days. Losing acceleration in highway traffic creates a serious risk of a rear-end collision. This is the same type of loss-of-control hazard the recall was meant to address, and the condition appeared only after the recall software was installed. I contacted the dealer right away to report the safety problem. Over two days I called at least six times and left multiple messages that were not returned. When I reached the service department, they would not inspect the vehicle until the following week, and a service manager offered the same delay. I also contacted Ford customer service and received no help. The vehicle has been at the dealer since September 30, 2026. As of October 7, 2026, there is still no diagnosis or repair. I believe the recall 26S28 remedy either failed to correct the defect or introduced a new powertrain fault that causes loss of motive power at speed. I am asking the federal safety agency to note this complaint in connection with recall 26V‑237 and investigation EA26001, and to evaluate whether the remedy is adequate.

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · MS

XXX: I scheduled an oil change online and selected the open transmission safety recall. [XXX] Ford executed Recall 26S28 (PCM Programming) under verification code RGLKT7MASIPIJ. The truck had absolutely no shifting issues prior to this flash. XXX: Within two weeks of the software update, the truck began experiencing the exact erratic shifting and violent gear-dropping safety hazards described in the recall. I returned the truck to the dealer. XXX: After days of complete silence, I had to initiate contact. First by phone, then by physically walking into the service desk on XXX to get answers because the dealer ignored my vehicle. Mid-XXX: After the truck sat on their lot for three weeks, they finally scanned it and retrieved code P2701. The dealer stated the recall wouldn't cover it and immediately quoted me $8,000 to rebuild or $10,000 to replace the transmission. They claimed they would submit the case to Ford Corporate. XXX: Having heard nothing, I returned to the dealership in person. I was told they still had no response from corporate. The Paperwork Contradiction: The technician's notes on Page 3 explicitly state: "No update so that one recall cannot be performed, must been updated at some point." This proves the technician failed to look at their own shop's service history from XXX (Page 2), where they signed off on completing the update. Furthermore, they condemned the entire transmission based strictly on a digital code scan; they never dropped the pan or performed any physical diagnostic work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 11, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · OK

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)

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · TX

Vehicle suddenly seemed to shift while driving causing a loud sound, jerk and caused a loss of control suddenly.

Filed Jun 4, 2026 · Acceleration, Steering · CA

My 2016 Ford F-150 is currently subject to Recall 26S28 / the federal safety agency Recall 26V237. Prior to the recall remedy becoming available, the vehicle began experiencing erratic transmission shifting and illuminated the check engine light, wrench symbol, and codes P0720 and P0722 were present. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership for diagnosis. The dealership documented that the vehicle was experiencing erratic shifting and was considered not drivable. The technician determined that the erratic shifting condition was related to DTCs P0720 and P0722 and recommended replacement of the transmission lead frame/conductor plate. The technician also noted the need for additional diagnostics involving the Output Speed Sensor (OSS) circuit within the transmission. The vehicle remains available for inspection at the dealership. This condition created a safety concern because the transmission was shifting erratically and the vehicle could not be relied upon for normal operation. Unpredictable transmission behavior creates a risk during acceleration, merging, highway travel, and other driving situations where consistent vehicle response is required. At the time, I was preparing for a cross-country military PCS move and did not believe the vehicle was safe or reliable to drive long distance. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership who documented the condition, diagnostic codes, and repair recommendation. The findings were provided to Ford Motor Company through Corporate Case Number CXH-08096574-L9M6T4. Ford representatives advised that the Automotive Safety Office was notified regarding the technician findings and the open recall. My concern is that the vehicle developed transmission-related symptoms involving P0720, P0722, erratic shifting, and a recommended lead frame/conductor plate replacement while subject to an active safety recall affecting related transmission systems. Ford has stated that the recall remedy is not available until July 2026.

Filed May 28, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · TN

2016 Ford F-150 experiencing intermittent and dangerous transmission behavior consistent with the current Ford safety recall involving unexpected transmission downshifts on vehicles equipped with the 6R80 transmission. Vehicle previously required a full transmission replacement/rebuild in September 2025 after repeated violent downshifting and drivability problems. Diagnostic codes at that time included P0705, P0707, P1702, and P1921 involving transmission range sensor and intermittent transmission signal faults. Following the rebuild, intermittent drivability concerns continued. Over several months, vehicle would periodically not “sound right” during operation, although symptoms were difficult to duplicate consistently. Check engine light would intermittently illuminate after approximately one hour or more of continuous driving and later clear itself after vehicle cooled down overnight. Current symptoms have worsened and include unexpected downshifting, inability to manually shift using dash controls, skipped gears, delayed downshifts/upshifts, remaining in 3rd gear while slowing to a stop, and behavior consistent with being stuck in low gear while traveling above 50 mph with excessively high RPMs. Vehicle intermittently appears unable to properly determine gear position. On May 19, 2026 I experienced uncontrollable downshifting and engine revving that resulted in an inability to safely operate the vehicle. Transmission behavior creates unsafe driving conditions and concern for loss of vehicle control during highway operation. Vehicle is now considered unsafe to operate and will be towed to a Ford dealership for evaluation related to the active safety recall.

Filed May 27, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · WI

Low idol sputters then dies down shifts clunks and stays stuck in 3rd gear cruse control fails different modes stop working wrench light on dash truck is lurching on takeoff basically just destroying itself while in operation rendering it undriveable

Filed May 26, 2026 · Acceleration · FL

My car is experiencing a harsh down shift from 3rd to 4th gear with lack of power on acceleration on my vehicle since 10/25/2024. I have taken it in to three service departments including Karl Flammer Ford in Tarpon Springs, FL. Each service department has said the only remedy is a New Transmission estimated to be $7,000-$8,000 (receipts of diagnostics can be provided). We have already spent $524.95 for diagnostic testing. Because we have been unable to afford to have the problem fixed we are currently driving around in an extremely dangerous vehicle. I have received the notice of Ford's "Important Safety Recall" Notice 26S28/ the federal safety agency Recall 26V237 and have researched that other F-150's from previous years have experienced similar issues with the transmission and have been recalled. I would like to be on record, incase something were to happen because of this transmission, that the federal safety agency as well as Ford Motor is completely aware of how dangerous this situation is. Quoting from the recall notice: an unexpected downshift to a lower gear can occur causing an abrupt wheel speed reduction. This may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.