NHTSA Complaint #11118395 — 2012 FORD F-150

AS WE DROVE 55 MPH ON STRAIGHT DRY HIGHWAY OUR VEHICLE SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR CAUSING REAR TIRES TO LOCK UP. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TRAFFIC BEHIND US. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT INTO PARK FO COLLECT OURSELVES AND THEN PROCEEDED STRAIGHT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DROP VEHICLE OFF. WITH RESEARCH ON THIS DEFECT WE FOUND FORD HAD A RECALL OUT FOR THIS SAME ISSUE (RECALL 16S19 WHICH WE NEVER RECEIVED) WE WERE ADVISED OUR VIN DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL THEREFORE WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. WE WERE NOT GIVEN A REASON WHY EVEN THOUGH OUR F150 IS A 2012 AND WAS MANUFACTURED IN DEARBORN MI JULY 2012. (WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET $100 REFUND FROM LOCAL DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER IT WAS AFTER A LOT OF PHONE CALLS. NOT SURE IF IT CAME DIRECTLY FROM THEM OR MANUFACTURER AND STILL DOES NOT COVER OUT OF POCKET COST OR MONTHS OF TIME SPENT). AFTER WE PICKED UP OUR "REPAIRED"/PAID FOR VEHICLE A FEW WEEKS LATER WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. WE WERE TAKING TRASH TO THE LOCAL DUMP A MILE DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING 30 MPH AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR, MILEAGE METER ON DASHBOARD BLANKED OUT AND WRENCH APPEARED ON SCREEN. ON THE WAY INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DRIVING 55 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR, MILEAGE METER ON DASHBOARD BLANKED OUT AND WRENCH APPEARED ON SCREEN. LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE ON THEIR OWN, WE HAD TO WAIT OVER 9 DAYS FOR FORD MANUFACTURER TO GET BACK WITH THEM ON HOW TO FIX IT AND SEND PARTS. THEY REPLACED MAIN CONTROL/VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION, REPROGRAMMED TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE) AND CLEARED SHIFT TABLES. AGAIN THEY DID NOT COVER ANY COSTS AND WE HAD TO PAY HEFTY BILL OUT OF POCKET WHEN THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE IS A 2012 F150 4X4 SUPER CREW LARIAT ECO BOOST WITH ONLY 41,000 MILES ON IT.