Diagsheet

2015 Ford F-150 · symptom sheet

Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear

  • 34owner reports
  • 77,000median miles
  • $1,321median quote
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Sep 12, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

34 of the 70 reports of transmission shudder on the 2015 F-150 describe jerking or hard shifts.

Part of Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard (70 reports)

1 recall on this systemcovering the 2015 model year
No crash reportedin 34 reports
NHTSA investigations2 covering the 2015

Tick what matches of 34 reports

16
21
1
8
2

Jerking or hard shifts on other F-150 years

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

What this problem usually is

This is the narrower sheet inside transmission shudder for shifts that jerk, lurch or bang. Where the wider sheet also takes in slipping and vibration, these reports are about a shift that arrives too hard: the car lunges forward, or a clunk comes through the floor as it drops into gear.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Few of these reports name the part that was replaced.

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

26V-237Apr 14, 2026
Power Train:Automatic Transmission

A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 26V-237

All 14 recalls on the 2015 Ford F-150, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the F-150

EA26-001opened Jan 30, 2026
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2015 to 2017

Unintended transmission downshift and rear wheel lock-up. Open, led to recall 26V-237.

PE25-002opened Mar 21, 2025
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2015 to 2017

Unintended transmission downshift and rear wheel lock-up. Closed jan 30, 2026.

RQ24-005opened Mar 27, 2024
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2014

Unintended transmission downshift. Closed jul 29, 2024, led to recall 24V-444.

RQ17-010opened Dec 25, 2017
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2011 to 2013

Unexpected transmission downshift. Closed oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V-075.

RQ98-005opened Mar 13, 1998
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1997

Automatic transmission control. Closed aug 27, 1998, led to recall 97V-147.

PE97-019opened May 6, 1997
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1997

Failure transmission park engagement/loc. Closed sep 16, 1997, led to recall 97V-147.

PE91-064opened Apr 9, 1991
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1991

Transmission fluid fires. Closed jul 5, 1991.

What owners paid

6 of the 34 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $400 to $5,739.

$400$1,321$5,739
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 60,000 and 175,000 miles, from the 8 reports that gave a mileage.

Complaints by the year NHTSA received them: 2015: 2, 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 1, 2020: 1, 2021: 2, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 3, 2025: 3, 2026: 182'151'161'171'181'202'211'221'233'243'2518'26

What owners wrote

“Vehicle unexpectedly down shifting while driving causing vechile to jerk. After parking truck, truck presents a no start condition and unlit gear selector lights. While driving truck will go in and out of limp mode. I have scheduled a appointment to bring the truck in for a diagnostic test 03/31/2026.”

Filed Mar 29, 2026

“Noticeably rough transitions between gears, particularly in the 3-4 and 4-5 shift ranges. sometimes a jerking sensation before shifting gears, not consistent. took vehicle to transmission shop. they found nothing mechanically wrong with transmission.”

Filed Mar 28, 2026

“Transmission slipping and bangs into and out of gears downshifts without doing anything when transmission services there was lots of metal fragments on the magnet2 no change and after having transmission reprogrammed no change”

Filed Mar 22, 2026

“Transmission Downshift suddenly, jerks after stop start when vehicle starts again Yes Yes No The plastic oil pan leaks few oil change shops has the plastic plug and some will not perform oil change because of the plastic pan and plug.”

Filed Jul 2, 2024

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 34 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works

Other problems on this car