NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Truck will randomly shift in to lower gears, was going down the freeway at 65 mph and the truck would down shift with out any wearing to 3rd or 2nd gear. This has happen many times.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH exiting the highway, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was restarted and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the residence but stalled multiple times on the way. Additionally, the contact stated a couple of days later the contact stated that he observed a knocking noise emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that that the rods were knocking and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Catastrophic brake failure. Drove truck normally the night before, but when I got in the next morning to go somewhere the brake pedal went to the floor. I depressed he brake pedal 2-3 more times to ensure I wasn't misinterpreting anything and it went to the floor, unimpeded, every time. I then noticed a very large puddle of brake fluid on the pavement under the passenger front tire. Pressing on the brake pedal was apparently squirting brake fluid all over the place from somewhere in that area. Had to have to car towed to a mechanic to fix. I WAS PLANNING TO TOW A HEAVY CAMPER IN A FEW DAYS AND THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS LIFE-THREATENING ISSUE HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD. Ford has had a LOT of brake system failures on numerous vehicles. The mechanic said the right front bake line simply ruptured on its own. No evidence of it having rubbed against anything to cause a weak spot in the hose.
We got the truck out of heated storage after 6 months, and lights on dash came up stating a"Service Brakes" and "ABS" plus warning bells. Took to Ford dealer immediately and they test and said we needed a Hydralic Control Unit as our brakes would not work. In looking this up, other F150's have been recalled, but not our VIN. So we had to pay $3,000 for part and it to be programed. Fortunately it is an extra vehicle for us and we were not caught out on the interstate. I find it interesting that 3 recalls were done for this same braking issue on the F150, but for some reason did not include ours?????
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving 55 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard with the "Brake Fluid Level Low" message displayed on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact's girlfriend managed to coast the vehicle back home. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact added brake fluid; however, the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact believed that the brake fluid was leaking into the brake master cylinder, which had caused the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
My Wife and I picked up my granddaughter at her school and I was driving her to our home. My speed was at 40mph in “drive” and all of a sudden it had very hard downshift into what appeared to be first or second gear. “Wrench” icon alighted on driver’s display monitor. Put shifter into manual and drove about 2 miles then shifted back to drive. Drove truck home and called Dealer. Truck went into shop and was determined output sensor failed. The Lead Frame had to be replaced at cost of $1600. Personal safety was at risk due to amount of traffic on road. However I immediately realized I had a problem and acted accordingly.
The truck is randomly down shifting. It will go from 6th to 3rd or 4tg or 5th, 5th to 3rd or 4th, and I've even had it downshift to 2nd. I found several threads talking about this being an issue and to report because there is a service bulletin about it because of the OSS being in issue and no recall yet.
Power steering assist fault message pops up and can’t steer the vechicle. It even happens while driving. Sometimes comes on and stomestimes I can drive a entire day with no issues but then towards the end of the day I go to start the truck or be driving and steering locks up and pops up the message says power steering assist fault Luckily everytime it happens it’s right when I start the truck except the few times I was driving and it happen I was on the far right lane and even though it’s hard to turn the wheel I was able to get off on the shoulder when it happens
driving around 30 mph and truck suddenly downshifted violently to first or second gear causing the truck to lock-up/ squeal tires. if the truck had been going at a higher speed, it would have ended with loss of control. really not ok with driving the truck now.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while reversing at slow speeds, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V316000 (Steering) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 198,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized and then released independently, allowing the contact to regain proper control of the vehicle. The failure occurred while turning the steering wheel towards the right or left; however, the failure was more pronounced while turning left. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become more persistent. The contact is an independent mechanic, diagnosed that the motor underneath the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact researched online and linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V316000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 70,000.
On 5/12/24 I was driving at 60 mph. Without any warning my 2014 Ford f150 downshifted from 6th gear to either 1st or 2nd gear. The rpms dropped immediately. I thought that it killed the engine but it slowly shifted all the way back up to 6th gear. I made it back home (13 miles) without further incident. I haven't driven it since then.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-48 MPH and shifting from 5th to 6th gear the rear tires locked up. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle emitted a loud noise as if the vehicle was downshifting. The contact turned the steering wheel slightly to the right and pulled over to restart the vehicle and regain proper functionality. The dealer was contacted; however, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 81,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
See attached document for complaint.
I was driving down [XXX] and my truck down shifted 4 times at speed of 75.. when it did the first 2 times a car was behind me and had to swerve to keep from rear ending me , I let off the gas it stopped down shifting and when I got back up to speed around 60 to 64 it down shifted 2 more times so I drove 55 until I got to my exit in Turbeville, SC INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. While the contact's wife was driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle abruptly downshifted and the rear tires locked in place without warning. The contact, who was following his wife in another vehicle, switched vehicles with his wife and experienced the same failure while driving in first gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession and had yet to be diagnosed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000. The contact did not attempt to file a complaint online.
TRANSMISSION.SLIPPING .WILL NOT DRIVE ANYMORE CONCERNED AND DANGEROUS .IT HAPPENS WHEN NOT EXSPECTING DROP GEAR AND JUMP BACK .
The low break fluid light suddenly come up, next thing you know, I didn’t have any brake function what so ever. Luckily I was driving off a parking lot. I have to call the tow truck to take my truck to the dealership. The dealer diagnosed, (failed brake master cylinder leaking into brake booster. Inspected brake system and found no external leaks all lines and calipers are dry. Removed master cylinder and found brake booster is full of fluid. Installed new brake master cylinder and brake booster. Bleed brakes) it was a recall for 2014 F150’s for this same issue but dealership said my vehicle was built months after the recalled trucks. I believe if this happened in the highway driving 70 miles an hour could end up in fatalities really easy. I am pretty sure many other 2014 F150 trucks got the same issue.
I have owned this F-150 since new and most of its life it has been stored indoors. Recently I noted that any time the vehicle is driven in the rain or left outside while it rains, the rear corners of the cab leaks water. The source of that water is a failed seal surrounding the rear window, which I diagnosed in my shop after removing the headliner and other trim in order to observe the leaking with some water and compressed air. The issue that I noted during the repair was that the airbags that are mounted above the rear passenger windows in the headliner on both sides of the vehicles wicked up moisture that had been caught by the headliner. They were both wet to the touch, which was concerning. Further, the airbag inflator which is mounted in the rear corner post of the vehicle and the seatbelt recoil mechanism both also showed signs that they also recieve moisture from this leak. The vehicle is out of warranty, so there is no manufacturer remedy for the issue unless I were to pay for a complete rear window reseal. I did not have a dealer take a look at this issue at this time. Multiple other owners of F150's of this age have had similar issues with water leaking into the cabin and leaching into the airbags, as described in numberous online forums.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure had become a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
I was driving about 45 miles an hour and my car suddenly ramps up in rpms. Might’ve been a sudden down shift
Vehicle downshifted on it's own nearly causing an accident and high engine rev
My vehicle, 2014 Ford F150, in the months of February 2024, March 2024, with the worst and final occurrence in April of 2024, I was experiencing intermittent downshifting that became more frequent. It occurred at highway speeds and while accelerating from a stop. My safety was put at risk while traveling between 60-70mph on the highway, the transmission had suddenly downshifted to a low gear and caused me to veer into the lane next to me, fortunately I was able to stop, restart, and limp my truck home at about 35mph. I had taken my vehicle to a local, reputable mechanic that has referenced this issue as a well-known problem with the type of transmission on my vehicle. Ultimately, the resolution was a transmission replacement. When the sudden downshifting would happen, an orange wrench would flash for service to be done but would disappear when I would park and restart the engine. I have also enclosed proof of work performed to correct the problem.
Truck loses power suddenly and even while going down the road randomly tried to shift itself into reverse. Lately it has just been lose of power.
Upon cold start up there a violent sound of rattling coming from the front part of the engine. It only upon cold start up and then goes away
I was driving down the road at 75 mph when all of a sudden my speedometer started going from 75 down to 30 back up to 65 down to 35, etc. Then my truck downshifted and slammed me into my steering wheel. It felt like I had hit my brakes hard. I have video of it This is a recall on the 2011-2013 but my truck is a 2014 so I feel they should cover my issue as well.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact also stated that the transmission shifted to the incorrect gear while driving, causing the vehicle to fail to respond as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was sluggish while driving with the power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
I was driving at 60 mile per hour in 6th gear (automatic transmission) when truck suddenly and without warning shifted into 1st gear, causing me to nearly lose control and revved the engine to a very high rpm. 2012 and 2013 models are under a recall for this. I spent $4975.71 on repairs including a rental car, mostly related to this incident.
The vehicle at highway speed of over 50 MPH will suddenly downshift into 1st or 2nd gear causing the tachometer to spike past 4500 RPM and the vehicle to suddenly lurched to an almost stop and shake. When this first occurred I thought I had done something since it corrected itself once I took my foot off the accelerator. This has occurred on numerous occasions since that first incident and one time I had to put the vehicle into neutral to alleviate the lurching while the engine still revved up past 4000 RPM. Very nerve rattling. I am afraid this will cause an accident if I'm traveling on the highway and the vehicle suddenly slows down while I;m being followed by another vehicle. I took the vehicle to a recognized reputable transmission place who could fine nothing wrong but stated the condition sounded like a some sensor is sending erroneous information. Very frustrating to have this happen on numerous occasions and yet no issue found. I should not have to be downshifting into neutral when ever this occurs, this is also dangerous.
The chest clip slides very freely along the harness and the clip seams to unclasp to the point my 2 year old can slide and undo the clip and freely break out of the car seat which is a extreme safety hazard.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle violently shifted into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission speed sensor had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The transmission can switch gears at anytime when driving in the highway so I would like to get this repaired before it becomes a huge accident and harms someone
This truck has suffered all sorts of issues relating to the lead frame inside of the transmission. This lead frame houses the speed sensor, range sensor ,and temperature sensor. With extensive repairs the issue keeps arising. Ive had 3 new Remanufactured transmissions installed im currently about 6,000 miles into my new transmission with the same issues. Erratic gear changes. Ex. 4th gear to 1st without warning. Loss of 1st,2nd and 6th gears. Becomes stuck in 5th. Just a random array it seems to be with this one almost everytime i cross the 130F degree trans fluid temp the problems start. I have done alot of research into this as i am a technician as well and the only thing i can come up with is bad part production for the sensors and lead frame.
Truck started shifting funny recently. Kept not paying it any attention but had a harsh sudden downshift at 50 miles and hour to first gear. Thought it blew the engine the RPMs were so high. I hit the brakes and the rear wheels locked up around 43 mph. No issue since but I know there was an issue with previous years
I was recently informed through the news that there have been complaints of downshifting unexpectedly in my year and make of truck. (2014 f-150) I have noticed similar occurrences in my vehicle at low speeds while in parking lots. I will be pulling out of a spot with no gas pressed, essentially just rolling out of the spot when it downshifts and jolts forward unexpectedly. I have not had any accidents from this as I am able to quickly apply the brakes but after hearing about others' issues happening in same year of vehicle, it made me concerned that this is what was happening for my vehicle. If I were in a situation where pedestrians are present this could risk an accident that could cause harm to someone. This unexpected jolt has occurred on a more frequent basis several times per week in the last few months. I have not had this inspected by mechanic or other entity but may in future if this persists and further reports highlight the problem. There have been no other warning signs for this issue.
Transmission at HI way speeds will down shift, RPM's will come up and wrench light will come on till you let off accelerator pedal. Vehicle surges forward at this point until it upshifts back to correct gear.
I was driving down the highway and the vehicle was in 6th gear and it dropped down to 3rd gear and it did this twice in the same day in a few days later it did it again this is very dangerous I just bought this truck in the beginning of March 2024 and they're saying there's no recalls on it
My truck erratically shifted gears while driving. Causing erratic shifts in speed and my electrical system went down so I couldn't tell how fast I was going.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle downshifted from overdrive to 1st gear causing the rear-end to slide into a nearby ditch. The vehicle ended up in the ditch on the side of the road and had to be towed out of the ditch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame connector for the transmission had failed causing the transmission to unexpectedly downshift. The lead frame connector was replaced. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard, and the vehicle jerked while changing gear. The check engine warning light and the wrench symbol which indicated a failure with either the transmission or throttle body were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The contact was informed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer was in the process of replacing the transmission. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, there was a puddle of coolant discovered leaking underneath the vehicle. The cause of the failure and location of the coolant leak was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 200,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V316000 (Steering) which was linked to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure, and both stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
Truck is randomly down shifting & slipping gears
Only have 78k miles on this truck. About once every 3 to 4 times I put the truck in reverse or drive, nothing happens and I just sit there. After an average of 3 to 15 seconds, the transmission makes a hard THUD noise and it finally begins to move into gear. The other day I randomly had a “wrench” warning appear as I was going down the highway at 70mph. Once I got home, I shut the truck off, restarted it and the wrench disappeared.
I remote started my truck and let it run to warm up. I got in and pushed the brake pedal and it went to the floor. I turned the ignition on and the information center said, "Brake fluid low". I turned the truck off, got out and looked under the truck for signs of brake fluid (there was none), opened the hood and my reservoir was empty. I took the master cylinder off and the brake booster was full of brake fluid. I had to replace both, the master cylinder and brake booster.
I was driving about to make a right hand trun on the st where my home is located. Out of nowhere with no warning or any message displayed on my dashboard. The both front tires locked up and automatically reduced my speed. I am thankful for this happening when I was turning on my street to my house. If it would had been a few minutes before when I was traveling at 60 mph and this would accard. The truck would have flipped i was told by a machine that did a house call. He took a look at the brakes and the pads are new the car has brake fluid and the front brakes are still locked. He had never come across this situation told me to see if there are any recalls when I looked up this same problem there are many 2014 ford f150 with the same problem. I only can say I glad it happened turning on the street where I live because my [XXX] and [XXX] were in the back seat this could had been a very dangerous car ride. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from under the rear wheel wells. The contact depressed the brake pedal to slow down however, the pedal was stuck, and the brakes were sticking. The contact released the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to brake independently. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but became a reoccurring failure at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear brake calipers and pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and took the vehicle back to the same mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the brake hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and additionally the brake pads were overheating. The contact took the vehicle to another independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the front rotors, calipers, and pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,000.
The master cylinder failed and caused brake fluid to be sucked into the vacuum brake booster. The result is total hydraulic failure of the brakes and a safety hazard. This is a known failure for the 2014 F150's with the 3.5L Ecoboost for which there was a recall. My truck with the 5.0L motor uses the same part.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V316000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 87,000.
steering gets hard to steer at some points while turning and has to be muscled back s o there sticking while turning .show no recall but not sure there a service bulletin about this. thanks 1ftfx1ef1efc65359 2014 f150
The contact stated the 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to inspect the vehicle and found that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant was leaking from the turbo and advised the vehicle to be taken to a local dealer for repair. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head, exhaust manifolds, and vacuum pump gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.