NHTSA Complaint #11096758 — 2012 FORD F-150

THE VEHICLE WOULD DOWNSHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, HAS OCCURRED WHEN VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO REMAIN IN 1ST GEAR AFTER THESE INCIDENTS AND INTERMITTENTLY WHEN LEAVING FROM A STOP, AT AN INTERSECTION. VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES, IN WHICH CASE THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYED AN ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT AND GONE INTO LIMP MODE, WITH ONLY 5TH GEAR AVAILABLE, WHILE IN AN INTERSECTION. THIS PROBLEM WOULD ALSO CAUSE THE ODOMETER TO READ '-------.--' AND THE SPEEDOMETER TO READ '0 MPH', EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, TRAVELLING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE IS IN OTHERWISE PERFECT OPERATING CONDITIONS. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0720 WAS DISPLAYED DURING THESE INCIDENTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 16N02 FOR 'CERTAIN' VEHICLES, IN WHICH THE DEALERS ARE REPLACE THE MOLDED LEAD FRAME WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. IN THE CASE OF MY VEHICLE, THIS PROGRAM DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, THE MOLDED LEAD FRAME WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE ISSUE AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED. WITH MY VEHICLE NOT APPLYING FOR THE NOTED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM, WITH THE SAME FAULTY PART AS NOTED WITHIN THE SPECIFIC CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH DEFICIENT MOLDED LEAD FRAMES IS FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS INITIALLY THOUGHT AND THEREFORE, THE RECALL PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL F-150S AND SIMILAR VEHICLES WITHIN THE SPECIFIED BUILD DATES, AS NOTED WITHIN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM. THE MOLDED LEAD FRAME FAILURE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND CAUSES SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE DRIVERS OF THOSE VEHICLES AND TO THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC.