Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7 | 8% | 116,000 miles |
| 2013 | 5 | 7% | 74,000 miles |
| 2012 | 9 | 6% | 39,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 7% | 30,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 2% | 36,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 8% | 11,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 2% | 80,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 4% | 96,000 miles |
| 2004 | 18 | 11% | 11,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 4% | 47,000 miles |
| 2002 | 10 | 9% | 90,000 miles |
| 2001 | 17 | 11% | 66,000 miles |
| 2000 | 28 | 9% | 90,000 miles |
| 1999 | 64 | 15% | 68,000 miles |
| 1998 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 1997 | 21 | 14% | 155,000 miles |
| 1996 | 15 | 12% | — |
| 1995 | 14 | 10% | 74,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-350 with a trailer hitched to the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side rear wheel locked up, and the trailer started fishtailing. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted manually into second gear but failed to accelerate above 15 MPH. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
While driving 60 mph, in heavy rain, flat roadway the vehicle down shifted from 6th gear to 4th and from 6th gear to 3rd several times. The shift to 3rd from 6th was hard and accompanied by a temporary loss of forward momentum. No check engine light came on. All temperature gauges remained within normal range. The tachometer jumped and fell wildly during each of the events. I pulled off the highway at the next exit, turned off the ignition, and waited a few minutes. I restarted the truck and proceeded without additional problems.
When shifting from drive to reverse when parking a trailer or positing the truck in a parking space the engine will go full throttle and will spin the rear wheels even with your foot on the brake with no warning. The only way to stop the engine is to turn the key off putting in park or neutral does nothing. Have called several Ford dealers and was told that if no code was set they could not help. Have had the vehicle a little over a year and this has happened 10 times to me. If someone else was driving the truck they would most likely run into someone or something. Even holding the brake the truck still will move or spin the rear wheels depending on the road service when this diesel goes full throttle. Not safe at all. Need some help getting this fixed. Has done it when shifting from drive to reverse and or just going from park into drive. …
A Ford truck "death wobble" alleges f-250 and f-350 trucks have problems with the steering linkage and suspension systems. The proposed class action lawsuit includes current and former owners and lessees of 2005-2019 Ford f-250 and f-350 trucks. However, the plaintiff says the Ford dealership denied the wobble problem and refused to repair the truck under warranty. The Ford truck death wobble lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District court for the southern district of california - william lessin, et al., v. Ford motor company.
We have been maintaining our vehicle and had no warning lights at the time our truck died . At the time of the incident it had oil and water. We were driving on the florida turnpike at full speed when suddenly, the truck started shuddering, and then it completely lost power. A cloud of blue-white smoke came out of the back of our truck. We were lucky to be able to get off of the turnpike to a safe place. We could have been killed. The mechanic has determined that the engine is locked up and can't be fixed. Our truck only has 134,000 miles - it should not have blown up like this.
The first time it happened to me I was on a trip in Canada from texas. The road was a little bumpy (farm road) I was driving 30 m/h accelerating to get to 60 m/h when all of sudden the truck started shaking so badly my head hit the side window. I couldn't steer the truck at all I slowed down to 0m/h put it on park then started rolling slowly and it was gone. It did it to me 3 times on a 3 weeks period. Since the roads are bad up there I kinda left it as that and told my husband about it when I came back to texas. We had the tires rotated and they couldn't see anything else wrong under the truck. …
While drivingmy Ford f350 crew cab longbed diesel 4x4 at 70 MPH on interstate 10, a 4 lane hwy in each direction, the truck lost all engine power and power assist to the brakes and power steering. Luckily the traffic was light and I was able to maneuver the off the hwy without coming in contact with another vehicle. The truck was towed to a Ford dealership and it was determined that the high pressure fuel pump came apart and put metal shaving everywhere throughout the fuel system. Ford recommended replacing all of the high pressure system this included all new fuel injectors. This repair cost $9,000.. A search of the internet revealed that this is a known failure. I had an independent lab test the fuel. There were no contaminants in the fuel except the metal shaving from the pump. ( the Ford fuel system recirculates the excess fuel back to the tank) the truck has 115000 miles. …
Upon acceleration transmission goes into neutral between 2nd and 3rd gear allowing the motor to race while the truck goes into coast only mode. This can put you at the mercy of oncoming traffic if pulling on to the road. Hard shifts in the upper gears both up shifting and down shifting, often bone jarringly hard. This causes the truck to break traction with the road when wet, snow covered or with loose gravel present. My last experience with this nearly caused me to jack knife a trailer on a steep snow covered downgrade. This is not an uncommon problem there several post about it at http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f149/, http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-7-tranny-problems/ and others, probably just the tip of the iceberg. Dealer originally dealer said it was not a problem now they say my warranty is up give us $199.99 and we will do up to two hours of testing. …
Related recalls (2)
Power train › Automatic transmission
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 f-150 vehicles manufactured from September 9, 2011, through September 22, 2011, and model year 2012 f-250, f-350, f-450 and f-550 heavy duty vehicles manufactured from September 12, 2011, through September 22, 2011.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake shift interlock switch function and replace the switch if necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on December 22, 2011.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
On certain trucks equipped with a 6.4l diesel engine, excessive temperatures in the diesel particulate filter in the exhaust system May result from excess hydrocarbons in the exhaust.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the power train control module. The recall began on April 3, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-350 years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (64), 2000 (28), 1997 (21), 2004 (18) and 2001 (17) model years. Transmission complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Ford F-350 transmission problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 11V-582 (automatic transmission, Dec 8, 2011); 07V-139 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Mar 26, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-350 transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 54% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (78 mentions), followed by the clutch assembly (34).
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.