Hello All,

Just heard today that Ford is recalling 1.5 million F150s, that have the 6-speed automatic. Years 2011-2013. Does anyone know anything about it?
My truck is the 2013 F150, XL, with the Automatic Trans. How would I know if mine is the 6-speed ? Which letter or number in my VIN would tell me ?? I hope there is an Expert out there for advice. Thanks.

 

FORD will call YOU............

Recall the first: Transmission downshifts and 'whiplash'

Ford's first recall, its biggest of the day, covers approximately 1.48 million examples of the 2011-2013 F-150 pickup. The vehicles carry build dates between April 2010 and November 2013, and all of them are equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions.

That six-speed automatic is at the center of this recall. The transmission output speed sensor might intermittently lose connection to the powertrain control module. If that happens, the transmission might shift down to first gear, which at certain speeds could mean a loss of vehicle control.

Ford has five accident reports that might be related to this problem. The automaker also received one report of "whiplash," which likely occurred when the vehicle lurched forward during the downshift. Thankfully, all it takes to remedy the issue is applying a software update to the powertrain control module, which Ford will handle at dealers.

 

If you have a 2013 F150 with an automatic then it is a 6R80 6-speed . They'll contact you if it is in the recall. If you really really want to know for sure, you can bug a dealer. I'd wait a week or two so they have all the information they need in order to advise you accurately.

 

I already have a appointment for my 2013 STX to be reflashed next week. make sure you remember to return your truck back to stock if you have a tuner! They tell me it will only take a short time.

 

I just entered my VIN here: https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/

Got the following:

 

That is where I checked mine also but I knew the build date was the summer of 2013 from my build sheet. They were very kind on the phone and I figure what the heck, I will let them flash my truck and may have them help me to do a reset on my sync system since it will not listen to me when I talk out a text. I was thinking it has to be related to my wife, she never listens either!

 

A friend of mine just got rid of his 2012 F150 a couple months ago after the 2nd time of it downshifting to 1st while driving down the road. He said the first one was at about 30mph, but the 2nd was at 70mph out on I95. The rear locked up hard and he was lucky to get it to the side of the road without an accident

 

All 2013 F-150s had the 6-speed transmission (6R80)

As for the build-date ... Check the Date: on your door jamb sticker.
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No 2011 Ford E-150's involved?

 

I don't believe the E-series had the 6R80, 6-Speed transmission effected by this particular recall. The E150 is a 4-speed right?

 

I`ve had this happen to my "13 build date of 09/12 twice on last summer ; once while towing my Travel Trailer very scary . Took it to a Ford dealership and they said they couldn`t reproduce it or find codes Now i can`t wait to take it in for the recall because it happened last week again.
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Nope, a 2011 E150 has a 4R70W 4-speed automatic.

 

Yeah, it's a 4R70W .

 

It looks to me like they're applying a band-aid by reflashing the PCM to be able to live with these temporary losses of signal from the OSS. I would think a new OSS would be the fix, but yes that would cost real money...
First they were throwing lead frame harnesses at them, now this. My question is, are these two separate issues, or are they still trying to pin the tail on the donkey ??
Once again, no decisive action on a known problem until people get hurt.

 

I tend to agree. I also submit that this is a good fix regardless. Since this is computer controlled I'm betting some illogical logic slipped through the cracks. In this case I'd guess that the computer has a map that identifies that 0MPH means the transmission should be in first gear. If the output sensor works 100% of the time then this is never a problem and nobody notices. If the output sensor flakes and stops reporting for a minuscule amount of time, the computer (being a computer like it is) reads no value from the sensor, equates that to a value of zero, then applies the map. The map says [zero means first gear], okay so for first gear I need to do X, Y, Z. BAM! First gear!

It doesn't reason that is was going 70MPH a millisecond earlier, nor how impossible it would be to change speed so quickly. It got a reading, valued it, mapped the appropriate response, then applied the response. Like a good computer.

Whether this is the correct way to fix this problem completely or not, I can't say. Regardless, it would be good to program this response out by having it look into another sensor's activity and/or musing over the impossibility of changing from 70MPH to 0MPH in a millisecond.

I can understand how this would get coded in and nobody realize this potential, and can also understand how they'd code it out.

The real question from my point of view is: What kind of damage does this sudden downshift do to the transmission and the rest of the driveline? Let's say they are rumbling along at 1,800RPM and it decides to do shift from 6th to 1st. That's a change from 0.691:1 to 4.171:1 so by my math 1,800RPM suddenly changes to 10,865RPM . . . and nothing gets damaged at all??? I'd think it would blow a u-joint, burn a clutch, crack something, or float cam followers or something . . . or is there an overrun clutch not engaged as part of this gear change?