RoadVitals

2009 Ford F-150 Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Oct 17, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 324 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Ford F-150 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Oct 17, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED A DELAY IN SHIFTING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION CALIBRATED, BUT THE REPAIR ONLY LASTED FOUR TO FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER THEN TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO SHIFT IN THE MANNER THAT IS WAS AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THERE WAS A DELAY IN ACCELERATION GOING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,152. UPDATED 11/18/11*LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE WAS A DELAY GOING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TCM/PCM AND RESET THE ADAPTIVE SHIFT STRATEGIES. UPDATED 03/05/12

NHTSA ID
10430548
Incident
Jun 6, 2011
Mileage
18,500 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 25, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN EXHIBITING PROBLEMS SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE FORTH TIME FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS USING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FOR HIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING ABNORMALLY, THE INTERNAL WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING EXTREMELY HARD AND EXHIBITING A LOUD BANG SOUND WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,337 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000. UPDATED 05/24/11*LJ UPDATED 2/8/12 *CN

NHTSA ID
10397388
Incident
Nov 19, 2010
Mileage
40,337 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 5, 2011

EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION FAILURES AT LOW MILES (9,000, THEN 15,000, THEN 17,000). THE FORD DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THE 3RD FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FIRST TWO TIMES, THE TRANSMISSION WAS BURNED OUT AND THEY REPLACED THE BAD PARTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10386567
Incident
Feb 10, 2010
Mileage
9,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 21, 2010

2009 FORD F-150 WITH AN AUTOMATIC SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN STOPPED ON A GRADE IF THE GEAR SELECTOR IS EITHER IN 2 OR 3. WAS ADVISED BY BOTH MY FORD DEALER AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THIS WAS "NORMAL". I HAVE NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT ROLLED BACKWARDS LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL. SINCE FORD RECOMMENDS DRIVING IN "3 " WHEN ON GRADE, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ROLLING BACKWARDS AN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AFTER STOPPING. I HAVE AN EMAIL FROM FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE STATING THAT THIS IS "NORMAL". IF FORD IS NOT GOING TO FIX THIS ISSUE, THEY SHOULD AT LEAST PROMINENTLY NOTE THE PROBLEM IN THEIR OWNERS MANUAL. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT WAS SHOCKED WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED. I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IF THIS WAS A KNOW PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10361618
Incident
Jun 15, 2010
Mileage
4,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 15, 2010

2009 F-150 W/ @ 15,000 MILES HAS ERRATIC SHIFTING AND HAS A FAILING "PARK" GEAR. APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE TIME "PARK" WILL NOT ENGAGE AND ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO ROLL ON AN INCLINE. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10360626
Incident
Oct 1, 2010
Mileage
15,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 15, 2010

TRANSMISSION SLIPS, CHATTERS, SURGES, AND HAS MOVED TRUCK AHEAD A FEW FEET (INTO INTERSECTION) STARTS TO SLIP LEAVES YOU SITTING IN TRAFFIC AND WON'T MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS. IT GOES INTO A NEUTRAL STATE SLAMS INTO GEARS SO HARD IT CAUSES YOU TO LOSE CONTROL IN SLICK CONDITIONS. IT HAS ALSO STUCK IN BETWEEN GEARS CAUSING US TO HAVE TO STOP SHUT THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTART TO GET GOING AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10349403
Incident
Jun 1, 2010
Mileage
500 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 29, 2010

MY 2009 F 150 ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL WHEN IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND NO ONE INSIDE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (UNDER WARRANTY) BUT THEY SCRATCHED THEIR HEAD AND SAID USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I LEARNED OTHERS (GOOGLE SEARCH) HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10303259
Incident
Jan 12, 2010
Mileage
22,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 26, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F150 WHICH WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN 2009. WHILE DRIVING SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHILE SHIFTING GEARS. THE DEALER VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND REPROGRAMMED A SENSOR TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUE THAT EXISTED IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 14,000.

NHTSA ID
10302318
Incident
Jan 2, 2010
Mileage
14,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 23, 2009

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F150. WHEN STOPPED ON A HILL THE VEHICLE DOES NOT GO FORWARD IT ROLLS BACKWARDS AND THEN THE ENGINE STALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES AND WAS GIVEN A LETTER STATING THIS WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. HE ADDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE COMPUTER SO NO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. THE CONSUMER STATED 1ST GEAR WOULD BECOME INOPERABLE AFTER STOPPING AND TRYING TO TAKE OFF. THE ENGINE WOULD REV AS IF THE GEAR WERE IN NEUTRAL. UPDATED 02/11/10.*JB

NHTSA ID
10296802
Incident
Jun 18, 2009
Mileage
6,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .