All F-150 engines now deliver their power through an advanced 10-speed automatic transmission. The 10-speed delivers impressive overall performance, with enhanced acceleration at the low and mid ranges of the power band. Features include optimized wide-span gear spacing coupled with drag-reduction actions plus three overdrive gears. Solution B: Buy a Rebuilt Ford F-150 4R70W/4R75W/4R75E transmission. To get around the ‘gamble’ of buying a used transmission, you could choose to get a rebuilt Ford F-150 4R70W/4R75W/4R75E transmission. Typically, these are rebuilt with new parts, and come with a 1-2 year warranty.
21 problems related to transmission sensor have been reported for the 2011 Ford F-150. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2011 Ford F-150 based on all problems reported for the 2011 F-150.
Failure Date: 11/13/2020
After cranking the vehicle, I put in in reverse. The check engine light came on and it did not want to back up. Fearing that I would damage the vehicle I had it towed to the dealer. It was pulling a trouble code p0705 for the transmission range sensor. There is a recall on this (12c23) for Ford f150's for certain 2011 through 2013 models. I was told that my vehicle was not included in this recall because it was made 4 months before the recall years. My Ford was made in 4/11. The recall started for 8/11 year vehicles. My truck is the same year, make, model, and has the same engine and transmission as the recalled vehicles and it should also be covered in the recall. This does not make any sense at all to exclude my vehicle. I have the receipt from the dealer that cost me $907. 36. The tow bill was $140. 00. I should be reimbursed from Ford for all this.
Failure Date: 10/01/2020
'transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect' and 108 lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment. These vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
Failure Date: 03/01/2019
My 2011 F-150 would not go into reverse and it would not show up in the in the indicator. It required the replacement of the molded lead frame in the transmission to correct the transmission range sensor issue. There was a recall issued by Ford (12c23) that covered the same issue for 2011 - 2013 model year F-150 with 6r80 transmission. My F-150 was not in the manufacture date range, but it has all the issues that were in the 12c23 recall. This was brought to Fords attention, but they indicated that it is not part of this recall, even though it is the same exact issue. I have attached the recall notice for reference. This recall should be extended to cover all 2011 F-150 that have this exact same issue as indicated in the recall. It also should be noted that they did issue a recall 19n01 for the mold lead frame for this F-150, but refuse to cover the repair due to the fact that the specific codes for this recall were not present.
Failure Date: 02/02/2019
Tl the contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While driving 45 mph, the gear shifted from fourth to first gear unintentionally. Also, the check engine and power train fault warning indicators illuminated. The contact also mentioned that the rear wheels seized and the gear selector was not engaging into the selected gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission range sensor circuit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 117,000.
Failure Date: 12/09/2018
Tl the contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact was unable to immediately shift into reverse. It took approximately five seconds for the vehicle to respond. The contact had to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle from moving on its own. The contact stated that the failure occurred approximately fifteen times in two weeks. The vehicle was taken to jenkins & wynne Ford, Honda, Lincoln (2655 trenton rd, clarksville, TN 37040) where it was diagnosed that the transmission range sensor failed and needed replacement. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v190000 (power train, exterior lighting). The manufacturer provided case number: cas-16590270. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Failure Date: 10/26/2018
Tl- the contact owns 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempted to drive the vehicle, it failed to drive and reversed. The check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that when the gear shifter in drive position, it does not show on the instrument panel the vehicle in drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Aw.
Failure Date: 10/01/2018
Tl the contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While shifting from reverse into drive, the transmission became stuck in fifth gear and the vehicle would not accelerate properly. In addition, the service wrench indicator illuminated. While driving in reverse, the reverse lights would not illuminate and the back-up camera would not display. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (sanders Ford, 1135 lejeune blvd, jacksonville, nc) where it was diagnosed that the transmission range sensor and transmission lead frame were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v190000 (power train). The contact indicated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 134,000.
Failure Date: 09/01/2018
Tl- the contact owns a 2011 Ford -f150. The contact stated that when the clutch was in revered the gear shiftier got stuck. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and restarted and the gear would be operable. . The contact also mentioned that while driving at low speeds the vehicle transmission slipped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission range sensor,auto transmission fluid put inside the vehicle as well as a new filter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,000. Dr.
Failure Date: 07/20/2018
P0705 transmission range sensor input failure. Ford says there are zero recalls on this VIN ever.
Failure Date: 03/04/2018
~tl the contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact received a recall letter from Ford motors. The contact stated that the transmission sensor was replaced at glockner southpoint Ford (155 CO rd 406, south point, OH 45680, (740) 894-3673) in February of 2018 per the recall. While driving 50 mph, the transmission downshifted and the vehicle slowed down without depressing the brake pedal. A wrench symbol and the check engine indicator illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the transmission sensor was replaced again. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Failure Date: 11/08/2017
I am having a safety issue with my vehicle. When I place the shifter into reverse or drive the vehicle does not go. There is a delay until it engages into reverse or drive, the check engine light comes on as well. When you drive there is a hard shift. I did some research and a lot of people are complaining about this. I did check the check engine light codes and the issue is the ' transmission range sensor'. I am afraid that while I am driving it will disengage from drive and put my life in danger.
Failure Date: 09/22/2017
When trying to shift into reverse the dash light will not illuminate, will not shift into reverse, and maintenance wrench light comes on. I am able to shift into neutral, drive, and any other gear with dash illumination and operate the vehicle. Reverse will not shift and after multiple tries it finally takes and 'jolts' backwards without warning and allows me to backup. However dash light never changes and am unsure when it will shift. I am told by the dealership that it is a malfunctioning 'transmission range sensor'. My vehicle matches the make, model, and year of an active recall: #12v190000 however I am informed by the local Ford dealership that my VIN number does not match the recall list in oasis? and therefore is not covered by Ford. I have had no issues with my vehicle up until this point and cannot believe that Ford is refusing to cover this obvious safety hazard.
Failure Date: 12/28/2016
![F150 transmission cost F150 transmission cost](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YQgAAOSwFC1dWX1B/s-l400.jpg)
Transmission range sensor is malfunctioning. Truck shifts gears erratically, reverse lights will not operate creating a safety hazard. The shifting is also a safety hazard due to the inability to maintain control of my speed on the interstate. At times the reverse lights will come on while driving in traffic even if the vehicle is moving forward. Ford has issued a recall for the same problems for the same vehicle built in the same plant, however the manufacture date for the recall begins in August of 2011, my truck was built in June of 2011. Therefore my truck is not covered. I have already been placed at risk for an accident for this issue. I feel this is a defect already acknowledged by Ford, and can't understand why they wouldn't choose to fix every vehicle affected by this instead of just a few.
Failure Date: 08/20/2016
Experience an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor (oss) signal to the powertrain control module, potentially resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear. An unintended downshift into first gear may occur causing the rear tires to slide or lock up. This has been going on since April 2011. Still no remedy. Too dangerous to drive.
Failure Date: 06/24/2016
As I was pulling out of the yard the truck started shifting from 1st, 2nd, to 5th and then back to 1st gear. The transmission speed sensor was replaced today and it fixed the issue.
Failure Date: 06/01/2016
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While operating the vehicle, the transmission failed to go into reverse. Also, when switched to reverse, the 'r' failed to illuminate intermittently on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission range sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v190000 (power train). The failure mileage was 86,000.
Failure Date: 12/01/2015
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the rpm's started revving excessively high and loud without depressing the accelerator pedal. The speedometer, the tachometer and the gear selector also failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the body control module and the transmission change sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,000.
Failure Date: 09/29/2015
Driving on highway at 70mph, I saw my speedometer momentarily drop to 40mph. It did it again about 15 seconds later, and downshifted to about 4th gear momentarily. About a minute later, still at 70mph the speedometer dropped, and the transmission downshifted to 1st gear! my rear wheels locked up, and I lost control, and fishtailed for a few seconds. Luckily I had taken a half day vacation and was not in rush hour traffic. Still other cars had to swerve to keep from being hit. The dearlership was able to reproduce the problem, and replaced a moulded plastic module made by continental that I think contained the transmission speed sensor. So it appears that when the transmission speed sensor signal is lost, the failure mode is to downshift to 1st gear no matter the speed of the vehicle.
Failure Date: 06/16/2015
Tl- the contact owns a 2011 Ford f150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and attempting to shift into reverse the vehicle would hesitate. The contact observed that the reverse lights were not working. The check engine and tool warning lights were also illuminated. When the vehicle was shifted between drive and reverse the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000. Wh.
Failure Date: 05/11/2015
F150 Transmission Id
Tl-the contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into reverse the reverse lights were not illuminated and the r was not illuminated on the dashboard without warning. The failure recurred each time the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the transmission sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v190000 (exterior lighting , power train). The approximate failure mileage was 135,000. Pam.
Failure Date: 06/01/2012
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While operating the vehicle, the transmission downshifted hard and the vehicle jerked without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician made adjustments to the transmission sensor, but the failure recurred. In addition, while driving various speeds, the vehicle shook and vibrated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine cylinder coil failed and the cylinder battery pack needed to be replaced. Eventually five of the six cylinder battery packs failed and were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 20,000.
F150 Transmissions For Sale
Other Power Train related problems of the 2011 Ford F-150
Power Train problems | |
Transmission Sensor problems | 21 |
Transmission Stuck In Gear problems | |
Driveshaft problems | 9 |
Vehicle Shudder problems | |
Automatic Transmission Control Module problems | 9 |
Noises During Shifting problems | |
Transmission Slip Out Of Gear problems | 8 |
Transmission Failure problems | |
Transmission Not Go Into Gear problems | 6 |
Transmission Solenoid problems | |
Transmission Gear Slipping problems | 5 |
On any given vehicle there are about 30,000 parts that come together to make that car work. Some of them are definitely more integral to the overall functioning of the vehicle than others and one of the most important parts on any car or truck is the transmission. Ford introduced a 10-speed transmission called the 10R80 automatic transmission that you can find on their models such as the 2017 to 2020 F-150s that has proven to be one of the most problematic transmissions on the market today. Ford 10 speed transmission problems have largely been a result of this decision.
Ever since Ford introduced the transmission, it has been plagued with complaints and problems that many drivers have experienced. Ford has been slow to respond on some counts although there have been recalls issued in some instances. Let's take a look at all of the problems that the Ford 10-speed transmission has had, and what they've done to try to fix them.
Ford 10-Speed Transmission Overview
The 10R80 transmission is, obviously, a 10-speed transmission. It's a rear-wheel-drive transmission controlled by a PCM or a TCM. You can find this transmission in a variety of vehicles including the F-150, the Ford Mustang, the Ford Expedition, the Lincoln Navigator, the Ford Ranger, and the Ford Everest. Along with the 10 speeds there is one reverse speed, and they are all controlled by four planetary gear sets. There's one mechanical one-way clutch, six friction clutches, a two-piece valve body with 8 solenoids and the external PCM or TCM that we mentioned.
Obviously, there is a lot of technical stuff to know in there, but in basic terms as it relates to you as a driver you just need to know that the 10-speed transmission has 10 speeds and it's capable of skipping over gears when you get the vehicle going as part of the normal operating process. Ford calls this single step and double step shifting. The single step shifting is what you would expect such as going from 1st gear to 2nd gear to 3rd gear. The double step shifting will skip right over gear and go from 1st gear to 3rd gear, for instance. Overall, this allows for the transmission to provide you with better fuel efficiency as long as it's working properly.
2020 Ford 10-speed Transmission Lawsuit
In early 2020 a driver from Pennsylvania filed a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that Ford 10-speed transmission was defective and could shift harshly and erratically causing the vehicle to jerk, lunge, and hesitate between gears.
According to the lawsuit there was a design or manufacturing defect present in the transmission that could potentially lead to serious accidents or even a life-threatening injury. The suit went on to claim that Ford was not doing anything about it and therefore they should be held liable. It also brought up the fact that in 2019 Ford had issued 3 recalls for problems with their 6-speed transmission that affected well over 1.5 million F-150 models that have been produced between 2011 and 2013.
The response from Ford regarding the problem with the 10-speed transmission was not to issue a recall but they did produce technical service bulletins which are instructions that dealers and mechanics could follow when addressing concerns that some drivers have. According to the technical service bulletins issued for the 10-speed transmission the abrupt and harsh shifting that drivers experience was within normal operating parameters.
In Ford's words the trucks are equipped with an adaptive transmission shift strategy which allows the vehicle to learn the transmission’s unique parameters and improve shift quality. If the adaptive strategy was reset the computer would begin a relearning process and that would require harsher than normal upshifts or downshifts for several days.
Despite Ford's position that this was just normal procedure, most drivers who experience problems didn't have them disappear within a couple of days and their feeling was that the adaptive transmission shift strategy really had nothing to do with the overall problems they were experiencing with the transmission
The plaintiff also claimed that they took their truck into a Ford dealer for technicians to take a look at it since it was still under warranty. The plaintiff says the technicians would not fix the issue and claimed that every truck with the 10-speed transmission made the same noises as this one so there is nothing to fix.
2019 Ford 10-Speed Automatic Transmission Lawsuit
Months before the Pennsylvania lawsuit was filed another class action lawsuit was filed claiming that Ford's transmission caused life-threatening issues due to harsh shifting, jerking, hesitation and slipped gears. This one covered the 2017 to 2019 Ford F-150 models, simply because it was too early to catch the 2020 models.
One plaintiff in this lawsuit claimed their transmission started making noises after just six thousand miles and it would hold on to gears for too long, exhibit power loss when shifting or when cold. At another point the transmission failed completely and they weren't able to accelerate or shift. The dashboard displayed a message reading drive mode not available. This lawsuit also covered issues about drivers getting whiplash from the severely jerky motions caused by poor shifting.
Ford 10-Speed Transmission Recall
By the spring of 2020 Ford had issued a safety recall on select models of the F-150, the Ranger, and the Expedition that were equipped with 10-speed automatic transmission exhibiting problems. In the vehicles affected by the recall, a clip that locks the gear shift cable to the transmission may not have been fully seated. That could lead to the partially seated clip causing the transmission to be in a gear state different from the gear shift position selected by the driver. Basically, what that means is you could shift your car into park and actually remove the key from the ignition, but the transmission will not have actually shifted you into park potentially leaving you still in drive or neutral. Without the parking brake engaged, that left your vehicle subject to rolling away.
The recall of these affected vehicles covered 55,000 Ford models in total.
Driver Complaints About Ford's 10-Speed Transmission
According to a number of drivers who have complained about it to places like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford 10-speed transmission is prone to producing loud clunking noises upon start-up. At least one driver claimed that their vehicle completely lost power as they tried to accelerate through an intersection and the transmission would no longer respond at all, whether to shift up or down. Other drivers claim that the transmission would stay in one particular gear essentially making them undrivable.
One of the more concerning reports that comes from several drivers is that the harsh shifting between gears that produces a jerking or lunging motion was so intense that it actually gave some drivers whiplash.
It has been recommended to some drivers that if they're having issues with erratic shifting, missed shifts and other related issues that they might want to look into replacing the valve body in their transmission. This would be the step you would take after trying to update any relevant software which could potentially have been the problem for some drivers or doing an adaptive learning drive cycle to try to get the transmission working properly again.
The valve body replacement could potentially cost you somewhere between $400 and $900 to get done.
Another similar issue to the one that prompted the recall from Ford in the spring of 2020 is that there is a pin that attaches the transmission shift linkage to the transmission itself that may come out. When that happens, it can prevent the transmission from responding to movements from the shift lever, essentially locking you in whatever gear you're in when the pin pops out. This could be extremely dangerous if it happens while you were driving on the highway, for instance.
Another small but aggravating issue that some drivers experienced with the transmission was that the gear position indicator would not illuminate. This was a problem with F-150, F253, and F-254 trucks. The shift indicator on the display is supposed to light up and show you what gear you are transitioning into. However, in some of these models it simply did nothing or would turn off randomly.
This problem was exacerbated by the fact that there was no clear-cut solution for how to fix it since the reason it happened in the first place didn't make a lot of sense. Some drivers had success by turning off the power and all the lights and then turning things back on again. One driver even said that putting the windows down was what managed to get the indicator lights to turn back on again.
Is the 10-Speed Transmission Better Than the 6 Speed?
When it comes down to it, the 6-speed transmission that Ford offers is far smoother than the 10 speed. When the 10-speed is working properly it is more fuel efficient and will get you somewhere in the neighbourhood of five miles per gallon better efficiency overall. Unfortunately, this is just how things work on paper. As we’ve seen when it comes to the practical application of the 10-speed transmission, it really hasn't proven to be exceptionally reliable for most drivers.
Ford 10-Speed Transmission Repair Cost
Because Ford isn't covering problems with the 10-speed transmission under warranty, repairing any significant problems can be a little tricky. If the problem with your vehicle is so bad that you feel like you need to have the transmission repaired, you're looking at a fairly expensive repair bill. Any transmission is going to set you back quite a bit of money when something goes wrong with it. For an F150, for instance if you need to get your transmission replaced it could end up costing you somewhere in the neighborhood of about $5,000 including parts and labour.
Your best bet if there's a problem with your transmission and you need to get it fixed is to try to get a refurbished transmission which will defray some of the cost a little bit or, even better, is to find a salvaged transmission that's in good condition. The salvaged transmission can cost you several thousand dollars less. Unfortunately, if you're getting another 10-speed automatic transmission from a Ford, it may be subject to the exact same problems since Ford isn't acknowledging that there is a problem in the first place.
As you can see, the cost of replacing transmission in a Ford, or any vehicle for that matter, is extremely steep. Unfortunately, some of the issues that drivers have experienced with their transmission are the kind that can't simply be ignored or put off for too long. While it's possible that something will come of the class action lawsuits filed against Ford in the future, the fact is this kind of litigation tends to be a very long process. It could be years before everything is settled, and there's no guarantee that Ford will be held liable for any of the problems even when the lawsuits are finished.
The Bottom Line
The Ford F-150 is the best-selling truck in the world and has been so for many years now. Ford is the biggest automaker in the world for a reason. They make reliable vehicles that many drivers really enjoy. But when you produce vehicles at the volume that Ford does there are bound to be issues that crop up from time to time. Their 10-speed transmission is definitely something that came off the line with some defects in it and that will need to be addressed at some point in time. Unfortunately, the person who addresses it may not be Ford and it could just end up being your responsibility to take care of any issues at the end of the day.
With that in mind, you may want to reconsider investing in a Ford truck that has a 10-speed transmission right now, at least until things get cleared up in terms of how Ford plans to proceed with future models and whether or not these lawsuits are going to play out in favor of the plaintiffs or the automaker.