Ford F-150 Transmission Recall 26S28 (2015-2017): What the Free Fix Covers and What It Doesn't

Updated September 24, 2026. Ford recall 26S28 (NHTSA recall 26V237) covers 1,392,935 F-150 pickups from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 model years that have the 6R80 six-speed automatic. A worn electrical connection inside the transmission can make it drop from sixth gear to second without warning, and the rear tires can slide. Ford's fix is a free software update at a Ford dealer, plus a free one-time lead frame replacement for trucks that store one of four specific trouble codes.

This page replaces the article we published in February 2026 about the federal investigation into these trucks. That investigation, NHTSA engineering analysis EA26001, is the one that turned into this recall on April 14, 2026. The recall facts below come from three primary sources: Ford's recall report to NHTSA, Ford's owner page for 26S28, and Ford's July 9, 2026 dealer bulletin for the companion lead frame program, 26N04. They are linked at the end, with the NHTSA records for the related recalls.

Is My F-150 Included?

The recall covers F-150s from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 model years with the 6-speed automatic transmission, Ford's 6R80, built between March 12, 2014 and August 18, 2017. Ford's dealer bulletin splits the build window by assembly plant:

Two details trip owners up:

• 2017 trucks with the 10-speed are not in this recall. Ford started fitting the 10-speed automatic (10R80) to some 2017 F-150s. Recall 26S28 names the 6-speed only, so a 2017 with ten gears is not part of it, though its VIN may carry other open recalls.

• The year alone doesn't settle it. Ford told NHTSA these trucks were not built in VIN order. The reliable answer is a VIN lookup at NHTSA.gov/recalls, at ford.com/support/recalls, or through Ford's customer line at 1-866-436-7332.

What Goes Wrong Inside the 6R80

The 6R80 knows which gear the driver selected through the transmission range sensor. That signal travels to the PCM through the molded lead frame, the internal wiring assembly that sits on the transmission's main control (valve body) inside the pan. When the connection in the lead frame goes bad, the PCM can briefly read the wrong selector position.

Ford describes the cause two ways. Its recall report to NHTSA says the electrical connections in the lead frame degrade over time from heat cycles and vibration. Its owner page says a weld quality variation in the lead frame wiring can cause an intermittent sensor signal. Either way, a false reading at highway speed can make the PCM command a downshift as far as sixth to second.

A sudden drop to second slows the rear wheels hard for a moment. Ford's report says the rear tires can slide until the truck slows down, which can cost the driver control. Ford's investigators looked specifically at trucks towing trailers and trucks on wet roads, the two situations where a rear-wheel slide is most dangerous.

Signs this is happening to your truck:

• A sudden, hard downshift at speed when you did nothing to cause it

• The rear of the truck stepping out or the tires chirping during that downshift

• The check-engine light or the orange wrench light coming on, which Ford says can happen as the range sensor signal degrades

• Codes P0705, P0706, P0707 or P1702 in the PCM. All four point at the transmission range sensor circuit, and a scan tool reads them

What the Recall Fix Does, and What It Doesn't

The recall remedy is software only. The dealer reprograms the PCM, and Ford's report says the new calibration gives the control system additional time to recognize failed or failing range sensor hardware before it commands the downshift. In plain terms, the truck gets better at ignoring a bad signal. The update does not replace the lead frame or repair the worn connection.

That is why Ford paired the recall with a separate program for the part itself:

The Free Lead Frame Replacement (Program 26N04)

Ford's dealer bulletin for program 26N04, dated July 9, 2026, sets these rules:

• Order matters. The dealer has to complete the 26S28 software update first.

• The codes decide it. The check-engine light and/or the wrench light must be on with P0705, P0706, P0707 or P1702 stored in the PCM. Without one of those codes, the program does not apply.

• Ford approves each repair. The dealer sends Ford photos of the VIN, the odometer and the stored codes before the work is approved.

• Time and mileage. 15 years or 150,000 miles from the truck's warranty start date, whichever comes first. It is a one-time repair.

• Already past 150,000 miles? The free repair is still available to you, but only until July 31, 2027.

• Later owners are covered. The coverage transfers automatically when the truck is sold.

• Salvage and branded titles are out. Trucks with canceled warranties are not eligible.

• The letter is not required. Ford tells dealers to repair qualifying trucks whether or not the owner has received a letter.

Replacing the lead frame is real transmission work. The technician removes the main control (valve body) assembly, separates the old lead frame, fits the new one and lines up the range sensor pin with the manual valve before reassembly. Ford even tells its dealers not to start until the parts are in hand, so the transmission does not sit open and lose fluid.

Already Paid for a Lead Frame? The Refund Deadline Is December 31, 2026

Some 6R80 owners paid for this exact repair before the recall existed. Ford's 26N04 bulletin includes a refund: the cost of a transmission molded lead frame replacement performed before the date of your owner notification letter can be refunded. The refund offer expires December 31, 2026.

What to gather: the itemized repair invoice that shows the lead frame replacement, proof of payment, and your recall letter, because its date is the cut-off. The bulletin handles refunds through Ford's dealer warranty process, so start with a Ford dealer's service department or with Ford's customer line at 1-866-436-7332. If an independent shop did the work, including ours, ask that shop for a copy of the itemized invoice.

The bulletin limits the refund to the cost of replacing the lead frame. It says nothing about rebuilds or full transmission replacements.

Can You Keep Driving Until the Update?

Ford says yes. There is no stop-drive or park-outside instruction for 26S28. Ford's owner page also says that if the check-engine light or the wrench light comes on, you should take the truck to a dealer immediately.

Until the update is done, the situations Ford's own investigators focused on are the ones to be careful in: towing a trailer and driving on wet roads. Leave extra following distance, and if the truck downshifts hard on its own, get it to a dealer before the next tow.

Shifting Problems After the Recall Update

Since the software went out in July, some owners have posted on Reddit's r/f150 and r/Ford and in Facebook truck groups that their transmission shifts harder or differently after the update. These are owner reports, not findings. Ford has not published anything saying the update causes shift problems.

One r/Ford post describes a situation worth knowing before your appointment: the dealer confirmed the harsh shifting, put it down to internal clutch wear, and said the lead frame criteria were not met, so the lead frame was not replaced for free. That is how the program is written. It covers the lead frame when one of those four codes is present. It does not cover worn clutches, a sticking valve body, old fluid or a tired torque converter on a truck that may be past 150,000 miles.

If your F-150 still shifts wrong after the update:

• Ask the dealer for a printout of the codes stored in the PCM and keep it with your recall paperwork.

• If none of the four codes is stored and the shifting is still wrong, you are looking at an ordinary transmission diagnosis, not a recall question.

• If the check-engine or wrench light comes on later with one of the four codes, go back to a Ford dealer. The program runs for 15 years or 150,000 miles, and trucks already past 150,000 miles have until July 31, 2027.

Where an Independent Transmission Shop Fits

The recall update and the 26N04 lead frame replacement are free, and only a Ford or Lincoln dealer can do them. Don't pay anyone, including us, for work Ford covers. If a scan shows one of the four codes on a truck that is still inside the program, the next stop is a Ford dealer.

Rohnert Park Transmission comes in for the 6R80 problems the recall leaves behind:

• Harsh, late or slipping shifts with none of the four qualifying codes stored

• Salvage or branded-title F-150s, which the program excludes

• Trucks past 150,000 miles once July 31, 2027 has passed, or more than 15 years from warranty start

• Clutch, valve body, solenoid or torque converter wear on a high-mileage 6R80

• A second opinion after a dealer says the program does not apply

Our ASE-certified technicians scan the PCM, road-test the truck and check the fluid before recommending anything. We're at 305 Laguna Dr in Rohnert Park and work on F-150s from across Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. See our transmission repair service in Rohnert Park, book a transmission diagnostic, or call (707) 584-7727. For common failures by model year, read our F-150 transmission problems by year guide, and for everything else Ford, see Ford repair in Rohnert Park.

How This Recall Came About

Other F-150 Transmission Recalls With a Similar Symptom

Two neighboring model years have their own downshift or wrong-gear recalls, and both were re-issued in June 2026 for trucks that were repaired incorrectly the first time. If you own a 2014 or a 2018 and had the original recall done years ago, run the VIN again.

Certain 2021 F-150s with the 10-speed have a different transmission recall entirely, a park-pawl problem covered in our Ford recall 26V402 guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which F-150s are included in recall 26S28?

2015, 2016 and 2017 model year F-150s with the 6-speed automatic transmission (6R80) built between March 12, 2014 and August 18, 2017, a total of 1,392,935 trucks. Ford says the trucks were not built in VIN order, so check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or ford.com/support/recalls instead of going by the year.

Is the 2017 F-150 with the 10-speed transmission included?

No. The recall names F-150s with the 6-speed automatic only. Some 2017 F-150s have the 10-speed automatic (10R80), and those are not part of 26S28. Your VIN may still have other open recalls, so run it anyway.

Does the 26S28 recall replace the lead frame?

Not by itself. The recall is a PCM software update that gives the truck more time to recognize a failing range sensor before it commands a downshift. The lead frame is replaced for free under the separate program 26N04, and only when the check-engine or wrench light is on with code P0705, P0706, P0707 or P1702 stored.

Which codes qualify for the free lead frame replacement?

P0705, P0706, P0707 and P1702, stored in the powertrain control module with the check-engine light and/or the wrench light on. The dealer completes the 26S28 software update first and sends Ford photos of the VIN, the mileage and the codes before the repair is approved.

My F-150 has more than 150,000 miles. Is the lead frame still covered?

Yes, for now. Program 26N04 normally runs 15 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever comes first, but Ford's bulletin says trucks that are already past the mileage limit can get the one-time repair through July 31, 2027.

I already paid to replace the lead frame. Can I get my money back?

Possibly. Ford's 26N04 bulletin offers refunds for the cost of a transmission molded lead frame replacement done before the date on your owner notification letter. The refund offer expires December 31, 2026. Bring the itemized invoice and proof of payment to a Ford dealer or call Ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Can I keep driving my F-150 before the update?

Ford says yes. There is no stop-drive or park-outside instruction for this recall. If the check-engine light or the wrench light comes on, Ford says to take the truck to a dealer immediately.

Can an independent transmission shop do the 26S28 recall?

No. The software update and the 26N04 lead frame replacement are free and done only at Ford or Lincoln dealers; Ford Mobile Service cannot do them either. An independent transmission shop helps with 6R80 problems the recall does not cover, such as harsh shifting with none of the four codes stored, salvage-title trucks, or worn clutches and valve bodies on high-mileage trucks.

Sources

• NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V237: affected population, build dates, cause, chronology, remedy and schedule.

• Ford owner page for recall 26S28: remedy date, dealer-only repair, driving guidance and the 15-year / 150,000-mile lead frame coverage.

• Ford dealer bulletin, Customer Satisfaction Program 26N04, July 9, 2026: qualifying codes, the July 31, 2027 cut-off, the December 31, 2026 refund deadline, eligibility and the repair procedure.

• NHTSA recall records for 24V444, 26V378, 17V669 and 26V375, looked up by recall number at NHTSA.gov/recalls.

Bottom Line

If you drive a 2015-2017 F-150 with the six-speed, run the VIN, get the free software update at a Ford dealer, and pay attention to the check-engine and wrench lights afterward. Those lights, with one of four codes, are what unlock a free lead frame. If you already paid for that repair, the refund window closes December 31, 2026. For shifting problems the recall doesn't cover anywhere in Sonoma, Marin or Napa County, call Rohnert Park Transmission at (707) 584-7727.