The Lemon IndexThe transmission lost its output speed signal.
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
Failed output speed sensor. Then: wiring fault.
Owners named P0720 in 165 complaints to the U.S. government, most often on the Ford F-Series.
Models that report it most
Complaints that name P0720, by model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more complaints. Tap a model for its years, mileage and what owners say fixed it.
P0720 by model: P0720 Ford F-Series (113) · P0720 Infiniti Q50 (15)
Years owners report it on most: 2013 Ford F-Series · 2012 Ford F-Series · 2011 Ford F-Series · 2016 Ford F-Series · 2015 Infiniti Q50 · 2014 Ford F-Series
Transmission problems by year: Ford F-Series · Ford Mustang · Ford Expedition · Ford Edge · Chrysler Pacifica
The details
What P0720 means
The transmission lost its output speed signal. The speedometer and shifting can act up.
Can I drive with P0720?
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
25% of the owner complaints that name P0720 also say the car loses power or goes into limp mode. A complaint can describe more than one problem, so this doesn't prove the code caused it.
Common causes of P0720
- Failed output speed sensor
- Wiring fault
A shop should confirm the cause with a scan and tests before replacing parts.
What owners describe
- Loses power or goes into limp mode: 25% of complaints
- Transmission slips or shifts hard: 10% of complaints
- Warning lights and electrical faults: 7% of complaints
- Brakes or ABS act up: 6% of complaints
Share of complaints naming the code whose text also mentions each problem.
Model years that report P0720 most
2013 Ford F-Series (37), 2012 Ford F-Series (16), 2011 Ford F-Series (15), 2016 Ford F-Series (14), 2015 Infiniti Q50 (13), 2014 Ford F-Series (12).
Related codes
P0721 P0722 P0725 P0729 P0717 P0716 P0715 P0713
Quick answers
What does P0720 mean?
Output Speed Sensor Circuit. The transmission lost its output speed signal. The speedometer and shifting can act up.
Can I drive with P0720?
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
What causes P0720?
Failed output speed sensor; Wiring fault.
Counts: NHTSA owner complaints whose text names P0720. A complaint is an owner's report, not a diagnosis. Meanings: the standard SAE J2012 definitions in our own words; manufacturer codes only where verified for that make. General information, not repair advice for your car.