general problems of the 2018 Ford F-150 - part 1

Driving at 50 mph, and attempting to accelerate - vehicle lost all "power". Pedal was "to the floor' and no response from the truck. Could not accelerate to get up to interstate speed. Multiple attempts were made, with big hesitations then hard, surging engagements, as truck attempted to shift. More than once the accelerator was applied with no response. Rpms didn't even rev, just nothing from the vehicle. Had to slow down to get the truck to engage into a gear, eventually catching and able to hold 50. Slower acceleration over time and was eventually able to get up to freeway speeds.

The truck suddenly jerks into gear and lurches forward even sometimes after taking foot off the gas. The transmission has issues shifting at low gears, known to Ford, and these present in situations like parking lots and at red lights. It creates a safety hazard when operating at low speeds.

I have a 2018 Ford F-150 supercrew 4x4, with the current odometer at 61,500 miles. What component or system failed or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the 10r80 10-speed automatic transmission exhibits severe torque converter shudder/vibration. The torque converter and transmission fluid are original to the vehicle and are still installed. Yes, the vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request at any time. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? while driving at highway speeds (40–65 mph) under light throttle, the truck suddenly begins violent shuddering/vibrating that feels like driving over rumble strips. This causes the entire truck to shake, momentarily reduces engine power, and makes steering and braking feel unstable. The shudder is strong enough to blur the rear-view mirror and has occurred in heavy traffic and while towing, creating a serious risk of loss of vehicle control. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. The shudder has been reproduced on multiple test drives by me and is identical to the symptoms described in Ford TSB 22-2219 and earlier tsbs for 2017–2020 F-150 10r80 torque converter shudder. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? not yet formally inspected by Ford for this specific failure, but the symptoms are identical to thousands of documented 10r80 cases that Ford has acknowledged via tsbs and goodwill repairs. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no check-engine light or transmission warning lamps. The shudder first appeared approximately may 2025 at around 54,000 miles and has steadily worsened. It now occurs on every drive between 20–25 and 40–55 mph.

I was driving along and the truck shifted out of gear. Throttled to high rpm’s and went back into gear causing me to temporarily loose control and it repeated itself 2 more times before I got it stopped and towed home.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle hesitated, and the contact saw smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, exited the vehicle, inspected underneath the vehicle, and saw automatic transmission fluid leaking onto the exhaust pipe, causing the smoke in the rear of the vehicle. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 10 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning to the right, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact stated that the engine was revving, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be driven later but was jerking while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Hello, we have been experiencing downshifting and slipping of shifting with our Ford F-150 that has 80k miles on it. This has caused us to loose power on the road thus putting us in an unsafe position with other drivers. We have reached out to our local dealership where we purchased the vehicle and found that we need a new transmission. When researching this, we found that there are alot of Ford F-150 owners the same years as ours that have the same situation. We are concerned that this is not a recall. It is obviously a safety issue for drivers and others on the road.

The transmission failed at 116000 miles. Initially it was due to low oil level, never checked at the dealership in all the services I've had done. I added a quart to bring up to the property level. Had the fluid and filter changed the next day, and techs didn't say anything about what they found during the test drive they did. Ford then went straight to me needing a new transmission at $11000 for parts and labor. An independent technician that is Ford certified also looked at the vehicle and transmission and confirmed it's most likely the cdf clutch cylinder and the "trashcan" as it's called. These are both known issues and it's why Ford updated the design after several failures at low miles. The independent mechanic quoted me at $7,000 for parts and labor and it's the same updated transmission.

While operating my vehicle, I was unable to drive due to transmission failure. The vehicle would not go into gear. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership for repair. The repair has been completed by Ford and was a complete transmission replacement. I am not sure if the failed part is still available for inspection. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to this occurring.

The truck will randomly downshift to when driving steady on the highway. The truck will also skip gears and stutter transitioning gears.

Was driving my truck on 55 mph road, when truck started rough shifting and becoming unresponsive to the accelerator pedal, which cause my car to quickly decelerate on the road and become hazardous to others as my brake lights were not on (since I wasn’t actually braking). Another time at a stop light, I started trying to drive, and transmission stopped responding in the middle of the intersection, barely made it through before light turned red… had a child in the car with me too. Brought truck into Ford dealership to diagnose the issue, they said it was the cdf in the transmission, and this is a known and not uncommon issue. Seems crazy that this isn’t an issue Ford is fixing on the affected vehicles if it can cause people to get stuck in intersections with no way to move out of harms way, especially if this is a relatively common issue? no warning lights or anything indicating this was a problem prior to the issue. I had actually just had my truck at the dealership for 90k mile maintenance less than 1000 miles before this happened, and Ford gave me a “green checkmark” on my transmission being good at that appointment.

Transmission has been clunking/shifting hard and occasionally slipping out of gear. Recently it slipped out of gear while turning through a busy intersection. My truck lost acceleration momentarily which could have caused the vehicle behind me to rear-end me or crossing traffic to hit me. Apparently there are widespread issues with Ford's 10r80 transmission. I took my truck in to be inspected and was told I needed a new transmission with upgraded parts due to excessive metal in the transmission fluid. My truck is only 7 years old with 71,000 miles on it. Ford knows their transmission is a problem and hasn't issued a recall. And they did not offer to help cover the cost of the new transmission which totaled $9,645. 19.

Nhtsa complaint statement (2018 Ford F-150, 10r80 transmission – cdf drum issue) I am filing this complaint regarding the automatic 10r80 transmission installed in my 2018 Ford F-150. This transmission suffers from a well-documented defect involving the cdf drum, which is a critical component for clutch engagement and shift control. The defect causes a variety of unsafe conditions, including erratic shifting, gear slippage, harsh engagement, hesitation on acceleration, surging between gears, and sudden or complete loss of drive power. These failures occur unpredictably, placing both the driver and others at risk. In my experience, and in the reports of many other owners, the transmission will sometimes delay engagement when pulling into traffic or attempting to merge, leaving the vehicle vulnerable to collision. At other times, the truck surges forward without smooth control when shifting, or drops into neutral-like conditions, preventing acceleration. This behavior is not only inconvenient but represents a serious safety hazard that could easily result in an accident at highway speeds or in intersections. Ford motor company has released multiple technical service bulletins related to the 10r80 transmission and its harsh shifting behavior, yet none provide a lasting repair for the cdf drum defect. In most cases, the only available remedy is costly transmission replacement or complete rebuild, often well before expected service life. This is clearly not normal wear-and-tear but a design or manufacturing flaw that compromises safe operation. Given the widespread reports, repeat failures, and the safety implications of a transmission that can suddenly fail, I respectfully request that NHTSA open an investigation into the Ford 10r80 transmission and specifically the cdf drum issue. A recall or mandated corrective action is necessary to protect vehicle owners and the public from the risks created by this defect.

Transmission has lots of issue, clunky shifting, surges, weird noises. Happens every time you drive. Dealer said it was normal but it's not. I've driven plenty of these 10r80s and they didn't have this issue. Engine makes noises that are not on other examples of this engine, my dad has the same truck and had similar issues and had to spend thousands of dollars to fix an engineering defect in the cam phasers. Dealer also said these noises were normal while under warranty - I see countless posts on forums saying the same thing then for others, after warranty suddenly its a problem because a retail job pays 30-40% more than a warranty job. Such a scam and you just keep allowing it. There is simply no reason that the 10r80 transmission and 3. 5 ecoboost gen 2 engines haven't been recalled yet. Ford has issued updated parts, admitted to engineering issues that caused these issues so why are customers forced to pay to fix engineered issues? they admited fault, they need to make it right for their customers instead of screwing us over.

My truck would shift gears randomly and the transmission would slip every time I start to accelerate. I took it to the shop and they said that there was internal cdg cylinder failure. I looked it up and it seems as that this has been an issue with a lot of F-150's.

Shortly after I purchased my 2018 f150 in April of 2018 I brought it back to my dealer in June stating that it was shifting hard in and out of 5th gear. My service advisor at that time said his f150 was doing the same thing. They plugged it into their computer and stated that there was no problem. Subsequent trips back for the same problem resulted in the same answers. Now in September of 2025 on the 26th, with 56k miles on the truck the transmission is lunging so hard at stops that it feels like I was hit from behind.

This truck has been in the shop 4 different times due to the transmission shifting erratically, jumping between gears, loss of power, and hard shifting. Ford knows this is a problem with the 10r80 transmission, you know this is a problem with the 10r80 transmission. Yesterday while driving 55mph the truck shifted itself into 1st gear, the truck momentarily jerked, the rpm’s shot up to 5000 and then the truck just lost all power like it was in neutral and wouldn’t move. After almost getting hit by the car behind me and the car coming at me, I drifted off the road and it took ten minutes before it would go into gear correctly, at which time I drove it slowly home with the flashers on. Now I have to take it back to the shop for the 5th time for this same dangerous problem. I am aware as I know that you are too of the numerous class action lawsuits around the country against Ford for this issue with millions of vehicles. Yet you sit on your hands not ordering Ford to issue a recall. Do your job!.

At 66,000 miles I had to rebearing the transfercase,and rear differential. At 88,000 miles I had to put a metal oil pan on it, because Ford used a two peice plastic one. . They leak. Now I have a bad yoke off the transfer case,and, the rear springer hangers are cracked on the welds. This is structural failure,. . Ford is aware of the proplem ,because they offer a repair kit. I bought this truck new and it has never been wrecked. . Ford doesnot want to fix it. . My complaint numberis 11698591. Thank you. [xxx] . . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission temperature became elevated. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle, but the transmission failed to shift into gear as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where metallic debris was found in the transmission fluid. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

I have 114,000 miles on my truck. Without warning, my truck shifted from 10 gear down to 1st while driving 70 miles per hour. The force of the downshift caused the wheels to lock up and I almost lost control of the vehicle. I took the vehicle to the dealership and the repairs was over $10k. There are countless issues detailed on the internet with transmission failures for this vehicle but yet, Ford has not owned up to the defect.

Auto start stop. This has happened on several occasions where I will be traveling at highway speeds and my 2018 F-150 10 speed 10r80 transmisson with a 5. 0-liter motor has died while traveling. I have talked to Ford engineering reps, and they say they have never heard of this. I have done research into the subject and there have been hundreds of reports of the same issue. I have an appointment scheduled for Ford to look into the issue.

Transmission: delayed shift/hesitation at low speed after take-off. Risk of loss of motion while crossing traffic. Consistently happens at low speed shift change, doesn't matter if on flat or incline. A lot of other owners complaining of same exact issue, Ford has yet to acknowledge that there's a flaw in the drivetrain.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the vehicle jerked abnormally and unintendedly upshifted. The “service transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal transmission failure and a fractured valve cover. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,700.

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.

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.

Transmission started shifting very erratically, skipping, and hanging in gears. The rear end would lock up and the tires would screech. On the highway, during downshifts, the vehicle would hang and shift hard, jerking the vehicle in heavy traffic. Could not maintain safe speeds.

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.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 15 mph and while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the right side of the roadway and turned off, and then restarted the vehicle but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The “wrench” symbol was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

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.

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.

My truck only has 61,000 miles and it started skipping gears and down shifting suddenly and I loose power and it stalls out in intersections. When it shifts it goes into neutral and my motor races making it extremely dangerous on the highway. I had a transmission tuneup done for $500 but it didn’t help. It got worse over a weeks time and I took it back to the mechanic because a wrench came up on my dashboard. He ran a check and 4th gear was shot. So now I need a new transmission. 2014 f150 had a recall. Several people I know with the same year as mine 2018 have the same problem.

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.

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!!.