The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal, the transmission downshifted unintendedly and made an abnormal loud knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 45,758.
2023 Ford F-150 transmission complaints
Page 5 of 6: complaints 101 to 130 of 159, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The vehicle has had its automatic transmission replaced twice by a ford dealership within a one year period due to mechanical failures within the transmission. The dealership confirmed the same issue both times. Each transmission replacement was new from the manufacturer. The transmission failures caused hard shifting and stalling, which has posed a safety risk. An indicator that the transmission was failing had been the presence of a loud banging/clunking noise when shifting gears.
Driving down the road, a "service needed" code will pop up on the dash. It will then go away. However, in the next few minutes a "Shift Service Fault" will pop up on the screen. I then get a notification on my Ford app that says I have a Powertrain Fault.
Sudden unexpected downshifts to first, third or fifth gear causing sudden deceleration, very high rpm, and tire lockup. Occurred at any speed. Sudden deceleration in traffic. Loss of directional control. No warnings. No alerts. It is not safe to drive. It has been at the dealer for 2 weeks.
Transmission harsh shifting, jerking, sudden loss of power, and unexpected downshifts. Goes into power saving mode every time I shut vehicle off. Remote start never available.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Service Vehicle Soon" message was displayed. The contact used a diagnostic scanner to retrieve DTC: P0929. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the gear shift module (GSM) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice, and the GSM Module had been replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
I attempted to schedule the fix for this recall and Ford is saying they will not fix unless the axel bolt has already failed. I read the recall notice as Ford will fix the axel regardless if is has failed or not.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle became very difficult to steer, and the rear end of the vehicle became unstable. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who removed the rear passenger’s side wheel and discovered that the rear axle bolt had sheared off. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Per Safety Recall 23S65-S1 - NHTS 23V896 Ford notified the government in 2023 regarding the rear axle hub bolts breaking on F-150's equipped with the max tow package. My 2023 Ford F-150 is configured with the max tow package and has the same exact axle and hub bolt known to failure included in the recall I mentioned. The new replacement axle has a nut on the end to hold everything together so it's very easy to tell the difference. This failure is part(s) specific and my truck currently has the same axle and axle bolt included in this recall that is known to have a failure. I have attached a picture. The problem, my VIN is not part of the recall selection and this is a present safety concern for me and others. I have not had a failure yet but I have not towed with my truck because of this safety concern of a potential failure. Up until recently, Ford's fix for broken axle hub bolts were to replace with the same parts. Ford finally had a replacement axle (new style with a axle hub nut instead of a bolt) manufactured to eliminate this issue. It is a completely different design and uses a nut on the end to hold everything together. This recall needs to expand to include all F-150's that have the same axle & axle hub bolt.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after placing the vehicle in the park in the driveway, the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal acid odor near the passenger’s side rear wheel, and the contact became aware of discolored gear oil and soot on the rim. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear axle hub bolts had completely sheared off and detached from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while decelerating and coming to a stop light, there was a rattling sound coming from the hub cap. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and noticed that the rear axle bolts had detached and was moving around in the hub cap. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear axle hub bolts had detached and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts being on backorder. The dealer informed the contact that they were informed to prioritize the vehicles included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train) by the VIN. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the button located on the shift lever had detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2023 FORD F-150. The contact stated that the Pre-collision Alarm Sensor Default was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced two sensor cables. While driving at approximately 35-40 MPH, there was a sudden winding sound coming from the bearings, which could be heard underneath the hood. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who replaced the alternator, and while repairing the vehicle, the dealer noticed that the idler pulley had failed. The idler pulley and serpentine belt were replaced. After having the vehicle repaired, the driver’s side seat cushion started deteriorating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the driver’s seat cushion. The contact smelled burning transmission fluid entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The final decision for the repair was not yet provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there were a rattling sound and grinding sounds coming from the drive train of the rear axle. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 16,100. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
My 2023 Ford F-150 3.5 eco boost with 35,000 approx. started having issues about 2000 miles ago with the transmission. It tends to slip gears between 3-4, 4-5 and 9-10. Sometimes it isn’t bad but other times it feels like the transmission is going to drop out from the truck. I also have an issue where the truck shifts into neutral while driving but still displays it is in drive. This doesn’t happen often but 4 times now in 2,000 miles. When this occurs I can’t put the truck back into drive and go, I have to stop, turn off the engine and wait from 5-10 minutes before I can drive away. When these issues occur there is no check engine light and the dealer said there are no snapshots recorded.
The engine and/or power train malfunctioned, rendering the vehicle difficult to bring to a stop. The longer than normal stopping distance carried the vehicle past the stop line, crosswalk and into the intersection of a crossing roadway. Anyone in the crosswalk or vehicle in the crossing roadway in the path of the vehicle would have been impacted. By placing the gear selector into Neutral, the vehicle was finally brought to stop. It is at this point I noted the tachometer read approximately 3500 RPM then slowly reduced to normal idle RPM. These aforementioned symptoms have not recurred since. The incident was brought to the attention of the manufacturer who referred me to the service department (local Ford dealer) who, in turn, did not identify any malfunctions. Service instructed me to monitor the operation of the vehicle and advise them of any problems. No malfunction codes/warnings/lights were present immediately before or after the incident.
The contact son owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while her son was hauling a boat and driving approximately 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, the transmission downshifted hard, and the vehicle jolted forward. The vehicle was taken residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that prior to the unexpected downshifting, while the vehicle was parked, transmission fluid was leaking from the vehicle and was seen on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that three days later there was transmission fluid on the driveway again, and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into 4WD while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 3,828.
rear axle shaft/hub broken. Rear differential leaking
Down shift to a very low gear at times 60 mph downshift to second gear
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power and independently shifted into park(P). Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart for several minutes and was unable to shift of out park(P). The vehicle was previously taken to a local dealer and the engine control module was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle remained with the dealer for additional diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
See attached document for complaint.
My F-150 has been a nightmare since I purchased it in April. Ford dealers are unwilling to even look into my complaints. It has now got to the point where I cant drive the vehicle on the interstate because it is too unstable at those speeds. As in the steering wheel moves one way and the truck steers another. The truck is on its 3rd set of tires with only 30k miles on the odometer, but Ford always comes up with some excuse to blame it on me. That is not the case though, I've had 3 4X4 F-150s prior to this one, so I know what to expect from and how to drive a truck.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the transmission downshifted to second gear unexpectedly, causing the rear wheels to squeal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road temporarily. The contact stated resumed driving at highway speeds; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle downshifted to 2nd gear. The contact was able to drive to the nearby dealer, where the vehicle was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to two dealers; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 800.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally while downshifting while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and the failure was acknowledged; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer for over a month before the vehicle was returned. The contact stated that the failure had worsened upon retrieving the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
Passenger side rear axle bolt broken. Ford has issued a recall on earlier vehicles, but they still have not created a permanent fix and it is happening to the 2023 models as well
Whitstling noise coming from transmission. Noise becomes louder when transmission is warm. Noticed on day of purchase after driving home. Have brought to dealership multiple times for issue. Noise progressively getting worse/ louder with mileage in addition to above. Vehicle is also shifting hard in lower gears when downshifting. Vehicle is also having issue with trailer connection/ break system. Can provide videos of issues upon request.
Stoped truck to get gas ! put in park ! When I got out of truck it went in reverse almost running me over !! Ripped my driver door all the way around to the front wheel before I could get it to stop !! It is equipped with a sensor to automatically put it in park when door opens !! But it did not happen !!!
In cold temperatures the vacuum system that keeps 4x4 disengaged seems to be failing. There is a loud grinding noise with vibrations when driving any speed. It will go away after you engage 4 wheel drive. I feel this is unsafe and worry with winter coming soon the hubs may lock up causing a head on collision or cause vehicle to go in the ditch. I’ve had this issue since I first bought the pickup brand new in late October of 2023. In above freezing temperatures the grinding and vibration does not happen. No light warning indications when this will happen either. I have called the dealer and made a case number, they say engineering is looking into it. They tried replacing the IWEs and it didn’t make a difference. I’ve done a lot of research online and many people all over in colder climates are experiencing the same thing.
I recently took my truck to the dealer because I have been experiencing a clicking and rattling noise that I believe is coming from the drivetrain. The service adviser stated to me , "According to Ford , this is a normal condition and there is nothing to be fixed." The same problem/condition that I am experiencing is described in NHSTA Campaign ID 23V896000 which appears to be Ford Recall # 23S65. What should I do ?
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