RoadVitals

1996 Ford F-350 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.
11
Latest Jul 18, 2002
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.
8%
of 130 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.
3
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 1996 Ford F-350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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

Tires & wheelsTransmission
Filed Jul 18, 2002

FRONT HUBS NOT LOCKING IN, CAUSING LOSS OF 4-WHEEL DRIVE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE STUCK. ALSO THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION WERE GOING IN BUT NO POWER IN FRONT WHEELS. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A FACTORY DEFAULT. *YH

NHTSA ID
8014285
Incident
May 25, 2002
EnginePowertrain (other)Suspension+1 more
Filed Jan 25, 2001

DELIVERED NEW 22 MAR. 1996. TAKEN IN AT 16768 MILES ON 10-DEC. 96 FOR HARD SHIFTING OF AUTO. TRANS. ANDOIL LEAK FROM FRONT MAIN ENGINE SEAL. WAAS RETURNED TWO WKS. LATER FOR REAR ENGINE SEAL LEAK. MECHANICS REPLACED PARTS AND ADJ. TRANS. ENGINE OIL LEAKS STOPPED, BUT STILL HAD TRANS. SHIFT PROBLEMS. FRONT WHEELS BEGIN TO PULL HARD TO LEFT AFTER BEING TAKEN IN TO DEALER TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED. THEY HAD TO BE FORCED OFF HUB BY TWO MEN. FRONT END ALIGNEMENTS WERE DONE BUT AT 65000 MILES WHEELS STILL PULL TO THE LEFT. FIRESTONE 235/85/16 TIRE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF CRACKS IN BELTS BETWEEN TREAD. COST WAS PRORATED. TAKEN IN 02 APR. 97. STILL HAVING SHIFT PROBLEMS WITH TRANS. OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE OIL PAN AND PUMP GASKET. 30MAY 97 TAKEN IN FOR BOTH HEADLIGHT FAILURE. TRANS STILL HARD TO SHIFT. MECHANICS UNABLE TODETERMINE PROBLEM. IN AUG. 2000 TRUCK WAS IN AGAIN FOR SHIFT PROBLEMS AND TRANS SLIPPING. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING IN GEORGIA, PULLING A 36FT. FIFTHWHEEL WHEN TRANS. HAD A HARD TIME DOWNSHIFTING. THE TRANS. WAS LOCKED OUT OF OVERDRIVE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH. AND STARTED UP A HILL WHEN THE TRANS. WOULDN'T DOWN SHIFT. THE TRUCK SLOWED DOWN TO 40 MPH. IN LESS THAN THAN 60 SECONDS, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAD PROBLEMS PULLIN THE REST OF THE WAY TO MICHIGAN. THIS WAS LATE IN THE EVENING WHEN SHOPS ARE CLOSED. BY THIS TIME TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRENTY BUT FORD MTR. CO. AND THE DEALERSHIP AGREED TO PAY ALL BUT 75.00 OF THE REPAIRS. THE TRANS. SHFTS SMOOTHER NOW BUT IT'S UPSHIFT HARD ON TWO OCCASIONS FROM THIRD GEAR INTO OVERDRIVE. I'VE PULLED THE CAMPER APPROXIMATELY 600 MILES SINCE THE REPAIR AND THE TRANS. SHIFTED MUCH SMOTHER. MY PROBLEM NOW IS WITH MY AUTOMATIC LOCKING 4X4 HUBS. I'V USED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE MAYBE 10 TIMES IN MUD AND SNOW, NEVER ON A HARD SURFACE AND ALWAYS RELEASED THE HUBS WHEN DISENGAGING THE DRIVE. THE HUBS WENT OUT ON 13JAN.2001 WHILE IN REVERSE AFTER TRAVELING THROUGH SNOW IN MY DRIVEWAY. HOPE OTHER OWNERS HAVE BETTER LUCK.

NHTSA ID
739941
Incident
Jan 1, 2001
Transmission
Filed Jan 10, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
739151
Incident
Dec 27, 2000
BrakesTransmission
Filed Sep 4, 2000

NO SUMMARY( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235-85R16 )

NHTSA ID
730112
Incident
Mar 10, 1998
Transmission
Filed May 27, 2000

4 WD NEVER WORKED, BUT DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL WARRANTY OUT; BALL JOINTS KEPT GOING OUT, HAD TO BE FIXED TWICE, AUTO TRANSMISSION WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTY OUT, WERE TOLD WAS FAULTY TRANS. AND AVE. OF 1 PER DAY THROUGHOUT US WERE GOING OUT, THAT FORD WAS SWITCHING TO DIFFERENT TYPE TRANSMISSION IN FUTURE. TRANS. REPAIR CONTACTED FORD TO SEE IF THEY WOULD FIX IT SINCE IT WAS CLOSE TO WARRANTY MILEAGE, THEY REFUSED. WE HAVE SINCE HEARD MANY STORIES OF OTHER OWNERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
723257
Incident
Sep 23, 1997
Transmission
Filed Sep 7, 1999

COMING BACK FROM ALASKA, PULLED OVER TO A CAMP GROUND, WENT TO PUT VEHICLE GEAR INTO DRIVE, AND SHIFT LEVER WENT UP AND DOWN. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT HAD ROUTED THE CABLE WRONG, CABLE WAS LYING AGAINST EXHAUST PIPE, CAUSING THE CABLE TO BURN IN HALF AND WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT. *AK

NHTSA ID
847003
Incident
Jul 9, 1999
Transmission
Filed Dec 29, 1998

WHEN OUR TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, WE HAD IT FIXED, BUT HAD TO KEEP RETURNING IT TO THE SHOP BECAUSE A VALVE WOULD STICK AFTER DRIVING A COUPLE OF DAYS. I CALLED MANY FORD DEALERS, AND THEY ALL SAID THE TRANSMISSION ON THAT TRUCK SHOULD NEVER GO OUT. I CONTA

NHTSA ID
701709
Incident
Jun 15, 1998
Body & structureEngineExterior lighting+2 more
Filed Dec 23, 1997

FRONT END STABILIZER BAR BENT, CAUSING VIBRATION.

NHTSA ID
527045
Incident
Dec 6, 1995
Transmission
Filed Oct 1, 1996
Crash reported

OWNER PARKED VEHICLE ON SLIGHT INCLINE, SHIFTED TO PARK, SHUT OFF IGNITION AND LEFT VEHICLE, EMERGENCY BRAKES NOT ENGAGED, MOMENTS LATER VEHICLE ROLLED ABOUT 150 FT, CRASHED INTO POLE, VEHICLE WA SSTILL IN PARK WHEN POLICE ARRIVED. *AK

NHTSA ID
802740
Incident
Sep 13, 1996
Transmission
Filed Oct 1, 1996
Crash reported

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
509390
Incident
Sep 13, 1996
Transmission
Filed Sep 16, 1996
Crash reported

VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED IN 3RD GEAR WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON ROLLED AWAY, HIT NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE THAN STOOD AT A STAND STILL.*AK

NHTSA ID
802439
Incident
Aug 15, 1996

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 .