2013 FORD F-150 Complaints

Fuse number 75 in power distribution box in engine compartment getting hot and melting not blowing the fuse but swelling and breaking contact therefore cause all lights to flash on the dash or nothing at all. Can be fine when parked but upon the next time you go to start it is when it can happen. No warning. First time happened 8/18/25. Next time was 1/3/26

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted from 6th gear into a lower gear, and the check engine and transmission warning lights illuminated. As a result of the failure, the vehicle crashed into bushes. The contact also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the incident. The contact sustained a left foot injury; however, no medical attention was sought. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not towed, and the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact further stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on another occasion, the vehicle unexpectedly entered limp mode and remained in 3rd gear. The contact also reported that the vehicle felt sluggish when attempting to accelerate from a stop, with the check engine and transmission warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission lead frame had failed and required replacement. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for warranty coverage due to exceeding the warranty limits of 10 years or 150,000 miles. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

I was driving on the freeway when all of a sudden my rear tires locked up and my truck started down shifting erratically. Luckily the road condition were good and i was able to bring the truck to a controlled stop. Restarted and truck is back to normal. Im having it repaired. Shop said its a known issue: transmission molded lead frame. Ford said not covered. I think i is a huge safety issue. I felt lucky i didnt crash

The feul pump fuse holder melts and the car dies instantly.This is very dangerous if you where merging into traffic or on a major interstate traveling at speed.Also leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere at freezing temps or scorching temps and you have no cell service.This should be a immediate recall before people are injured or killed.

Driving along on freeway and vehicle immediately shut down in the middle lane. From my investigation I found out Ford issued a TSB (15-0137) indicating crank no start, loss of RPM. This vehicle shut down and failure had put me at risk on a freeway where everyone is doing 65 miles an hour at night. My findings after pulling the melted fuse out and putting it back in the vehicle started up. My concern is that Fort has a TSB on this however vehicle shutting down on the freeway is a definite safety concern. Dealer wants $300 For this repair because it is not a recall. It is just a TSB. However, the other sad factor is the TSB kit to do the repair is $45 plus $280 for the repair.

I was driving about 55 mph when suddenly my 2013 truck down shifted to either first or third gear and I barely was able to control it to get off the road. The truck just bowed up and the vehicle behind me almost hit me. The speedometer stopped working and a wrench icon appeared. I tried to take off and the truck was stuck in third gear. Ford dealership said they would fix it if it was the OSS sensor. I paid to have it towed and they charged me over 2,000. There was a safety recall 24S37 on the 2014 with the 6R80 transmission the same kind my truck has. My 2013 did exactly the same thing as the 2014 and I believe it should have a safety recall. There was a extended warranty or something either 10 years or 150,000. My truck has 130,000. I talked to Ford customer satisfaction but they have done nothing. I told them I was going to report it.

Four times in the previous two weeks, while driving between 20 and 50MPH, the transmission has downshifted from 6th to 1st gear, locking the rear tires. Speedometer reads zero, airbag warning light illuminates, and odometer/MPG shows dashes instead of numbers. Ignition must be turned off and on to recover. Trusted private mechanic performed diagnostic: removed transmission pan, changed filter, checked electrical, and replaced fluid. Cost: $700. The issue was not resolved. Internet search suggests a known "lead frame" issue and recall. Valencia AutoNation Ford suggests having their technicians diagnose at a cost of approximately $350. I was quoted roughly $5500 to rebuild/replace the transmission. I reported this issue to Ford Corporate "Customer Satisfaction" (Case CXH-06529440-C7D1J5), but was offered no assistance. This complaint appears over 200(!) times in the NHTSA database just for 2013 Ford F-150 trucks. My family cannot drive this dangerous vehicle, and I cannot sell it in this condition.

Safety Recall 19S07 - (19S19) Ford Motor covered 19S07 but not 19S19. Software update does NOT prevent downshifting into 1st on Highway. The issue is that 19S19 is truly the root cause of issue, and software was a low cost ineffective countermeasure to safety issue. Covered certain 2011–2013 Ford F-150s with 6R80 transmissions for sudden transmission downshift due to output shaft speed (OSS) sensor faults. Included PCM programming and diagnostic checks. NHTSA This vehicle still exhibits down shifting at high speed (very scary), speed sensor malfunction, air bag disengagement while occurring. After software update transmission shifts produce poor gas mileage which violates EPA emissions regulations of mpg of vehicle when purchased.

While taking my daughter to a friend's birthday party, we were traveling at a speed of ~50 miles per hour when the transmission downshifted from 5th or 6th gear directly to first gear for no reason. The back tires locked up when the RPMs drastically increased, and the truck went into a skid. I believe my limited experience working on cars gave me the instinct to throw the shifter into neutral while applying the brakes. I was able to gain control of the vehicle prior to it fully going off into the ditch. After researching the issue, it became apparent this was a common problem with the 6R80 transmission that Ford knows about. I read numerous stories of the safety issues owners have had with this 6R80 transmission in the 12th gen F150. I brought the truck to my dealer, and they confirmed it was from the "LEAD frame" that Ford provided an extended warranty on. I was told the warranty didn't cover my vehicle (10 year/150K mile). This vehicle was purchased from the Ford dealership new in 2013 and has been in the family ever since. It currently only has 65K miles on it and has never had any work done to the transmission expect for a program flash at 26K miles in an attempt to prevent this exact issue. Outside of being disappointed that Ford was not willing to help with the expensive repair, my mind went to the safety aspect of what's going on. I believe Ford made the decision to not classify this as a safety recall to prevent paying for the replacement of the plastic LEAD Frame on all 6R80 transmissions. While I understand this is costly to an auto manufacturer, I can't help but think of what the result of this safety issue would have been if my wife or an unexperienced driver was under control of this vehicle that day. I reached out to the Ford Customer Service rep and explained my safety concerns. I was told she would file it under safety and that I may or may not get a call. This confirms their lack of concern; hence I'm reaching out to the NHTSA.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the expressway at 75 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle decelerated to 10 MPH, and the vehicle slid sideways. The contact stated that gauges on the instrument panel were inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon research, the contact had associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle did not meet the requirement for Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 – Transmission Molded Lead Frame Coverage Extension. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.