2017 Ford F-150 transmission & drivetrain problems
Updated from NHTSA data · How we count
511 owners have reported transmission & drivetrain problems with the 2017 Ford F-150, 43% of all complaints about this model year. The typical problem appeared around 95,891 mi.
- Transmission & Drivetrain complaints
- 511
- Crashes
- 8
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 4
- Related recalls
- 4
- Median mileage
- 95,891 mi
Specific components reported
Transmission & Drivetrain covers: transmission shifting, slipping, axles, driveshaft, transfer case.
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power train | 505 |
| Power train:automatic transmission | 5 |
| Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl) | 1 |
| Power train:automatic transmission:internal:clutches/bands | 1 |
| Power train:driveline:differential unit | 1 |
| Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) | 1 |
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints across Ford F-150 years
Mileage when the problem appeared
Related recalls
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles. A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 15, 2026.
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Risk: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 vehicles equipped with ten-speed transmissions. The pin that attaches the transmission shift linkage to the transmission may come out, preventing the transmission from responding to movement of the shift lever.
Risk: The disconnected linkage may cause the vehicle to not move forward or backward as selected by the driver with the shift lever. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the roll pin with an updated part, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S36.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 trucks equipped with an eight-inch productivity screen. In these vehicles, the instrument cluster may lose power after the initial vehicle start-up in cold ambient temperatures. Several gauges, including the transmission gear position indicator, may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect."
Risk: If the transmission gear position indicator fails to illuminate, the driver may be unable to tell the transmission shift position, increasing the risk of a crash or injury from unintended vehicle movement.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C01.
What owners say
- Filed Oct 6, 2026NJTransmission & Drivetrain
Sudden downshifts too 1st gear and 3rd gear from highway speeds. Also goes into limp mode. The codes needed to replace the molded lead frame are present, was at the dealer yesterday and Ford will not let them make the needed repairs under warranty. Ford said I must wait an undetermined amount of time for them too try and find a fix for this before anything else can be done. Besides this being the only vehicle I have at the time too drive, it is totally UNSAFE to drive. Ford…
NHTSA complaint #11769223 · source - Filed Oct 2, 2026MSEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain
My 2017 Ford F150 has been downshifting unexpectedly now for weeks. There have been a few times when I literally lost control of my truck. I am afraid to drive on Highway. I use my truck for work and everything else. The local Ford dealership here Astro Ford in D'Iberville, Ms told me yesterday they will not repair my truck based on guidance from Ford...they recieved just a few days ago....saying the recall repair is inadequate and another remedy is being worked on. I cannot…
NHTSA complaint #11768510 · source - Filed Sep 29, 2026OKEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain
My Transmission will townshift suddenly on the Highway. The error code I get is the (P0720) output-speed-sensor. I have noticed it has been recalled before. It is very scary when I am driving, and I know it has to be hurting my engine and transmission. I got a recall notice and thought it was for this, but it was for other error codes similar to this. According to my research they all seem to very closely associated. I took it to the dealership, and they said ford won't…
NHTSA complaint #11767852 · source - Filed Sep 28, 202680,000 miKYTransmission & Drivetrain
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 6th gear to 2nd gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the torque converter was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that…
NHTSA complaint #11767442 · source - Filed Sep 25, 2026SCTransmission & Drivetrain
Driving on interstate when my truck suddenly flashed a wrench light and downshifted to 5th gear. Truck went into limp mode limiting my gears to 3rd through 5th gear. Had vehicle towed to Ford Dealership. They wanted $399 just to do a diagnostic and scan for codes. My truck was showing code P0720 (Output Shaft Speed Sensor) at my house before being towed. This output shaft speed sensor is integrated into the internal molded lead frame, which is the part that was recalled for…
NHTSA complaint #11766888 · source - Filed Sep 25, 2026INTransmission & Drivetrain
2017 F-150 is dropping into limp mode due to code P0722 (OSS sensor), but Ford's safety recall 26S28 framework fails to replace the broken hardware for this specific code. Dealership performed PCM Update recall campaign 26S28/26V237. Charged me for a diagnostic fee because P0722 is not covered in the customer satisfaction program campaign 26N04, Even though P0722 points to the same transmission molded leadframe failure. After the PCM update my truck will still drop into limp…
NHTSA complaint #11766871 · source - Filed Sep 14, 202693,000 miNCTransmission & Drivetrain
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission started slipping. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…
NHTSA complaint #11764048 · source - Filed Sep 10, 2026KYTransmission & Drivetrain
The torque converter has malfunctioned and the vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs. The truck experiences significant vibration and shuddering at speeds above 45 mph. There is an existing recall for this exact issue; however, our VIN is not included in the affected vehicle population. With only 60,000 to 70,000 miles on the truck and less than 10 years of service, a major component such as the torque converter should not require replacement, especially on a…
NHTSA complaint #11763384 · source - Filed Sep 9, 2026SCTransmission & Drivetrain
My vehicle's transmission changed gears suddenly and unexpectedly causing a slight difficulty to control. Following the sudden gear change, some lights on the dashboard began flickering erratically. I have video of the dashboard after the gear change. For this incident, I was driving about 25 MPH. I experienced similar behavior before and at highway speeds. Since then, the vehicle was serviced by Ford for a Safety Recall Notice 26S28/NHTSA Recall 26V237. The service…
NHTSA complaint #11763161 · source - Filed Sep 8, 2026METransmission & Drivetrain
In 2025 my 2017 Ford F-150 started randomly downshifting. We took the car to the ford dealer who could not assess what the problem was exactly (Rowe Ford in Westbrook, Maine). They suggested a new transmission to be safe and clearly indicated that this was not a safe truck to drive at the time. We took the truck to another ford dealer to try to get an actual determination of what was wrong (Casco Bay Ford, Maine). They also advised that no codes were being given but that the…
NHTSA complaint #11762793 · source - Filed Sep 8, 2026SCTransmission & Drivetrain
My 2017 Ford F-150 V8 with the 6-speed automatic transmission has been experiencing a serious and recurring transmission malfunction. The truck has consistently, almost on a daily basis, gone into limp mode and become stuck in 5th gear. It also frequently fails to downshift to 1st gear when coming to a stop. Instead, it remains in 3rd gear, requiring the truck to pull away from a complete stop in 3rd gear. The dealership did perform the software update on 08/20/2026 ,yet the…
NHTSA complaint #11762766 · source - Filed Sep 7, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain
The vehicle has a ten speed transmission. It started with the transmission making minor down shifts from 3 to 1 and then 7 to 1. Without any engine warning light. It has subsequently started a severe shift from 3 to 1 and 7 to 1 and the engine light has now come on. This creates a dangerous situation when it down shifts from 7-1 when your speed is 45 mph of above. I contacted a dealership regarding a repair but was told there is no recall and it would cost $215 to diagnose…
NHTSA complaint #11762515 · source
Other 2017 Ford F-150 problem areas
- Engine (336)
- Other / Unknown (121)
- Electrical System (108)
- Body & Structure (88)
- Brakes (79)
- Acceleration & Cruise Control (53)
- Visibility & Wipers (43)
- Wheels & Tires (41)
- Steering (36)
- Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion (21)
- Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (18)
- Airbags (11)
- Suspension (7)
- Seats & Seat Belts (7)
- Lighting (2)
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology