Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65-67 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted from 6th to 1st gear and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bag warning light, the power train and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, The speedometer and the odometer ceased to work. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A police report was filed. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that he was a certified mechanic and had diagnosed that the lead frame assembly needed to be replaced. The contact stated that he had received a notice of Ford Campaign Number: 19N01. The local dealer and other unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they did not have the parts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that she received notice of Manufacturer Recall Number: 19F07 and follow-up Manufacturer Recall: 19F19. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired, but the contact stated that a year and seven months later, while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle downshifted into first gear, the rear tires locked up, and the vehicle began sliding and spinning out of control. The contact added that the gauges went to zero, and the vehicle crashed into a ditch. The contact and passengers did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the lead frame needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was failing to start as needed with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump fuse needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for repair. The vehicle had not yet been taken to a local dealer for repair. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and was rear-ended. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted to first gear. The service warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that after she drove home, she turned off and restarted the vehicle and the warning light disappeared. The contact stated that she researched online and noticed that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The service warning light illuminated and disengaged the air bags. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The contact then stated that the speedometer failed, and the gear shifter failed to operate as designed. …
The contact called on behalf of her husband who owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while her husband was driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly to 1st gear. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband shifted into neutral (N), veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle and shifting into drive (D), the vehicle experienced a hard shift and was stuck in 1st gear. The contact's husband manually shifted into 2nd and 3rd gear, and the vehicle shifted hard and made an abnormal clunking sound. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in 3rd gear. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the power train warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. Additionally, the speedometer and odometer became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed an undisclosed speed. The contact veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she attempted to shift into park (P), but the gear shifter was significantly difficult to move. The contact was able to move the gear shifter to park (P) after several attempts. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed while driving. The speedometer became functional after driving for a while. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the infotainment system display disappeared, the icons on the instrument panel became darkened, the vehicle stalled, the transmission shifted unintentionally, and the transmission sensor was inoperable. Several unstated warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis; the dealer informed the contact that the cause of the failure was unidentifiable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer on several different occasions and the contact was informed once again that the failure cause was unidentifiable. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the failure still occurred. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (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, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 1st gear, the vehicle shuddered, skidded, and the rear wheels locked up. The contact was able to coast over to the side of the road. The power train warning light was illuminated with the wrench symbol and the air bag warning light briefly before the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact detached the battery and waited for a while before reattaching the battery, restarting the vehicle, and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure occurred approximately every 5 miles. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started and the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the RPM was at 4,000, but the vehicle failed to move. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, shifted to drive, and depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the "WRENCH" symbol and check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the speedometer failed to operate while driving. The contact stated that after stopping and turning off and restarting the vehicle, the speedometer gauge functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was almost constant. …
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA investigations
Unexpected Transmission Downshift
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of transmissions unexpectedly downshifting to a lower gear without input from the driver on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles.
Transmission complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2013 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 1,343 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2013 Ford F-150, 45% of the model year's 2,990 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (26 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford F-150 transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-433 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Jun 10, 2019); NHTSA recall 19V-075 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Feb 11, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford F-150 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 25 crashes, 4 fires and 29 injuries and 1 death to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.