10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
11 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 0
Average Mileage:
22,940 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #711

Aug 072025

F-150

  • miles
Reporting this because I'd like to add to the several other claims on this transmission. 80,000miles and transmission all the sudden started stalling out of first and between 3rd and 4th gear. No accidents, but nearly got rear ended several times after I pulled out in traffic and it stalled between gears. A couple of weeks later the transmission started downshifting from 9th and 10th gear all the way to first gear. Again, luckily no accidents, but it could have been very bad. Took truck into Ford dealer service center. They inspected and said the transmission was "trashed" inside and would need to be replaced. It only has 80,000 miles!!

- Perry, FL, USA

problem #710

Aug 282025

F-150

  • miles
Transmission will either get stuck in a gear and won't accelerate or will shift down on its own and cause the car to jump and buck.

- Greer, SC, USA

problem #709

Aug 252025

F-150

  • miles
The Cam Phase Shifters and timing chain have failed with only 83k miles resulting in a $7,500 repair. This is unacceptable. I would completely understand if it had 250k miles but this is a baby as far as mileage. Looking at f-150 forums this appears to be a common problem and ford has actually changed the design of the cam phase shifters so they know they are defective. Request you loook into this issue please.

- Chesapeake , VA, USA

problem #708

Aug 252025

F-150

  • miles
I bought the truck new in 2018. In 2020, the transmission was rebuilt twice, and then a new one was installed. The automatic 10-speed transmission changes gears roughly and now I'm having the same problem with the transmission just abruptly switching gears up and down. It's a serious concern for me when I am cruising at 70 mph on I-95, and all of a sudden, the gears start randomly shifting, dropping to 3rd gear from 10th and then up to 7th, and then repeatedly shifting gears up and down.

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #707

Aug 132025

F-150

  • miles
While driving my truck mostly when raining but not always the wrench light will come on and the truck will lose all power and not shift. I then shut my truck off left it set for about 15 minutes and when i start it back up everything will be fine light would be off run's fine for about 1 to 2 months or if it rains again then it will do the same thing again.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #706

Jul 302025

F-150

  • miles
2018 Ford F-150 lariat truck 10 speed automatic transmission is a failure. 81K miles and it shifts in and out of gears, hard shifting, potential to lose control while driving down highway. Ford says it's common and has no recall or assistance. Transmissions from Ford are said to last at least 150K miles.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #705

Aug 072025

F-150

  • miles
My Ford F150 truck with 63,000 miles began jerking, almost stalling, missing gears on approximately 8/7/2025. I thought perhaps I purchased bad gas but just got worse in next week until the wrench icon appeared. Took it to dealership immediately after wrench icon appeared. It may have caused injury had the truck stalled and caused a crash! Long story short, $6300 later we had the transmission replaced. We are elderly and on a fixed income, huge expense for us. While having vehicle repaired I read about Ford knowingly selling cars with bad transmissions, there are class action suits because it has happened to too many people to count. Not only that but often occurs very close to the warranty of 60,000 miles, unconscionable. Ford is not acting in good faith, this issue is on them and no the consumer.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #704

Aug 192025

F-150

  • miles
I own a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost. It started having idling issues that eventually required the cam phasers to be replaced. While that was frustrating and costly enough, the bigger issue came with the 10R80 transmission. Despite performing all services on schedule and maintaining the truck properly, the transmission failed. After doing research, I found that this isn-??t an isolated incident. On Ford forums and owner groups, it-??s clear that the 10R80 transmission has been a widespread, ongoing issue for years. Thousands of Ford owners have been forced to spend thousands of dollars to repair or replace these transmissions-?"something that Ford should have addressed long ago with a proper fix or recall. It-??s disappointing that a company with Ford-??s reputation hasn-??t taken accountability for a known defect that affects so many loyal customers. Something should be done to make this right for owners who trusted Ford to deliver a reliable truck.

- Seneca, MO, USA

problem #703

Aug 052025

F-150

  • miles
While attempting to pass another vehicle from middle lane to passing lane, I stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle shuddered, slowed down (gear wouldn't catch). I manually downshifted to gain acceleration and avoid being rear ended by an 18-wheeler! I successfully maneuvered around and back into the middle lane but the vehicle was (and still is) having problems changing gears. It is an extremely unsafe to drive this vehicle.

- Needham, MA, USA

problem #702

Aug 132025

F-150

  • miles
the 10r80 transmission still jerks when putting in drive or reverse as well as hard shifting causing the vehicle to shake and not grab a gear. No smooth shifting.

- San Marcos, TX, USA

problem #701

Jul 292025

F-150

  • miles
F150 had a sudden complete transmission failure on the highway, rendering it unable to move. I was lucky to make it off the road safely. 10r80 transmission has known defects. $11,000 to repair.

- Bethlehem, PA, USA

problem #700

Aug 022025

F-150

  • miles
The transmission is hard shifting and staying in 6th gear most of the time. And when I pulled into my driveway the transmission was shifting back down to first and rolling backwards before shifting back to 6th gear allowing me to make a couple feet of forward progress at a time...

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #699

Jun 012025

F-150

  • miles
NHTSA Safety Complaint Draft Vehicle Information: Make: Ford Model: F-150 Year: 2018 VIN: [XXX] Incident Summary: While driving my 2018 Ford F-150, the vehicle suddenly displayed a warning on the dashboard: -??Steering Assist Fault -?" Service Required.-?? Within moments of this warning, I lost all power steering assist and was unable to control the vehicle, resulting in the truck veering off the road and into a ditch. This was a sudden and dangerous failure of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. I was fortunate not to have been injured, and no other vehicles were involved. However, this type of failure represents a major safety risk to me and to others on the road. I contacted Ford Motor Company and was assigned Case Number: [XXX]. Despite reporting the issue and explaining that the vehicle ran off the road, Ford refused to offer any assistance or goodwill repair. I was told the vehicle is outside of recall 24S45, even though it displays the exact same failure symptoms as recalled vehicles from later years. This failure could have resulted in serious injury or death. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this steering system failure and expand any related recall coverage to include affected 2018 F-150 models like mine. Incident Date: [XXX] Mileage at Time of Incident: 157,000 Location: Pine Bluff, AR Complainant Information: Name: [XXX] Address: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Pine Bluff , AR, USA

problem #698

Jul 282025

F-150

  • 84,019 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted to neutral(N) unintendedly, and the vehicle lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. No further information was available. Additionally, the contact stated that electronic system and lights failed to turn off. The contact confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall and that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that there were complaints and lawsuits related to the failure. The contact stated that the body control module (BCM) was previously repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 84,019.

- Russellville, AL, USA

problem #697

Jul 292025

F-150

  • 52,742 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the gear shifter shifted independently, and the message "Vehicle Heisted Gear Ten Error" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA to file a vehicle safety complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 52,742.

- Rock Hill, SC, USA

problem #696

Jun 152025

F-150

  • miles
Component/System That Failed: The 10R80 automatic transmission in my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost has become essentially undrivable at 89,900 miles. The transmission will attempt to upshift from 1st gear through each gear unsuccessfully until it reaches 6th gear, at which point it refuses to downshift. The only way to exit 6th gear is by taking the vehicle completely out of drive. This transmission is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This failure creates a major safety hazard. The inability to accelerate properly from a stop or to downshift while slowing down means the truck cannot respond to normal traffic conditions or emergency situations. This puts me, my passengers, and others at risk-?"especially when entering traffic, making turns, or attempting to stop. The erratic behavior also causes the vehicle to lurch or hesitate, increasing the chance of a rear-end collision or loss of control. Has the Problem Been Reproduced or Confirmed" Yes, the issue has been confirmed by a certified Ford dealership. They diagnosed internal transmission failure and quoted $8,876.27 for a full transmission replacement. Has the Vehicle or Component Been Inspected by Others" The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford dealership service department. No inspections have been done by law enforcement or insurance, and the manufacturer has not taken direct action, despite this being a well-documented issue with multiple TSBs and class action lawsuits tied to the 10R80 transmission. Warning Signs or Symptoms: The issue began gradually around 75,000 miles with hard or delayed shifting and worsened significantly by 89,900 miles. there was no warning light or messages until after the transmission gave out in the middle of a busy intersection. The truck now frequently: Fails to shift gears properly Hesitates or jerks unpredictably Becomes stuck in 6th gear This ongoing and worsening problem has made the truck unreliable and unsafe for everyday use.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #695

Jul 212025

F-150

  • miles
10r80 Automatic transmission. Randomly hunts for gears, often suddenly switches to Neutral before slamming into gear, sometimes loses gears on the highway, after a stoplight/sign or in the middle of intersections leading to a temporarily stalled vehicle in high traffic areas. Transmission behavior is unpredictable and inefficient. When brought to Ford for an oil and transmission fluid change; the vehicle threw a code, after diagnostic, they state that the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of over 9000 USD. Vehicle information states that the transmission is supposed to be good for 150000 miles. New vehicle warranty is 5 years OR 50000 miles. There's a massive discrepancy between those numbers. My vehicle started showing symptoms at 60000 miles and full blown issues at 100000. There are no vehicle warnings other than when the dealer was testing post transmission fluid change a "wrench" light came on. Now the vehicle cannot "find" reverse gear.

- Lynnwood, WA, USA

problem #694

Jul 192025

F-150

  • miles
While driving on the interstate with the cruise control set at 70mph the vehicle's transmission, while climbing a small hill, started slipping badly. There was a loud klunking sound and an immediate substantial increase in rpms. As a result I immediately slowed the vehicle down to around 60mph. Additionally I moved over into the slow lane. The yellow wrench light activated on my dashboard indicating a power train issue. The transmission continued having slipping issues while driving it home. I took it to my local Ford dealership and they informed me the the ten speed transmission was failing, and needed to be rebuilt. The truck only has 75,000 miles on it. I've read that Ford has had a lot of issues with these 10 speed transmissions, especially in the early years like my 2018 F150, and that a recall hasn't been issued. I feel as though an incident such as mine could cause an accident, especially at freeway speeds, that could result in injury or loss of life especially on a snow covered or icy road. The only symptoms I had prior to this incident was a slight amount of transmission slipping which I put off as the typical odd shifting pattern of this 10 speed transmission. As far as I know there have been no inspections done by Ford, and there was no inspections done by the police or my insurance provider.

- Racine, WI, USA

problem #693

May 012025

F-150

  • 94,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and the transmission shifted to neutral, nearly causing a crash. The contact stated while driving downhill at 5 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 40 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

- Marshfield, MA, USA

problem #692

Jul 042025

F-150

  • miles
While driving to Sam-??s Club (approximately 20 miles from home), my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost began running very rough, and the check engine light came on. I had the vehicle scanned, and diagnostics confirmed that the cam phasers are failing -?" the exact issue I had replaced under warranty at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle now has just 88,000 miles, and this failure occurred in under 30,000 miles since the original repair. I have maintained this truck with extreme care. I only use Motorcraft parts and fluids, change the oil every 3,000 miles or sooner, and always use premium fuel. This is not a maintenance issue. This is a design or part failure that Ford has not properly resolved. When the phasers were replaced the first time, I was told there was no warranty on the replacement parts. That is unacceptable. A known failure being replaced with an equally defective part is not a resolution. Ford is aware of this issue -?" there are multiple TSBs (including TSB 21-2130 and 19-2208) and widespread complaints across owner forums -?" but they have taken no responsibility. I paid over $44,000 for this truck and should not be facing the same critical engine failure twice before 90k miles. The rough performance and sudden malfunction while driving posed a potential safety risk. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can investigate and hold Ford accountable. This seems like a common problem with this engine, and I do not understand why there has not been a recall or why Ford has not been forced to implement a permanent fix.

- Au Gres, MI, USA

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