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

My 2018 Ford f150 only has 30,500 miles on it. There is a well known issue with the 2018-2022 Ford 10 speed transmissions, where the cdf drum fails and causes many transmission related issues. I started to show symptoms of this failure, very rough shifts from 1-3 gear, transmission would hesitate and not shift into the next gear, sometimes it would even aggressively downshift while just maintaining vehicle speed. The symptoms quickly got worse. I ended up stuck at a light because after it turned green, my vehicle wouldnt move, and I notcied it was stuck in 7th gear. I tried to manually downshift, but it wouldnt, as cars behind me were honking at me as I held up traffic. Eventually I started to accelerate from a stop in 7th gear, and then the transmission slammed into 1st gear. I brought my truck to Ford the next morning and they diagnosed it as a failing transmission with internal issues that needed to be replaced for over $13,000 dollars, reduced to $9800. This is at just 30,000 miles. I called around to other transmission shops and found a shop that would rebuild the transmission for $5000. I picked the truck up from the dealer to bring the the transmission shop, and it was just plain dangerous to drive. It downshifted from 4th to 1st going around a turn overrevving the engine,constant delayed shifts and rough shifts. I felt very unsafe driving this vehicle in this condition. All of these symptoms are amplified when the weather is cold and the transmission is still warming up. Ford knows about this issue, and has many technical service bulletins related to the issue and how to diagnose it. Most recent is 25-2126 which is from March 31st 2025, I actually found it on the NHTSA website. Surprisingly there were no warning lights or anything that showed up, but I know others with the same issue have received warning lights. Ford would not provide any asssistance with the repair as my vehicle was less than 2 months out of my extended warranty end date.

Engine is ticking and whistling. Drive train issues cam phasers was told beginning of the problem.

Ford has issued multiple tsbs regarding the defective 10r80 10-speed automatic transmission, particularly in F-150s (2017+). The issue is around the cdf drum in Ford F-150s (and other vehicles with the 10r80 transmission) is a known issue where an internal bushing can slide, causing significant fluid pressure loss, erratic shifting, and potential transmission failure, especially in models from 2017-2023. Ford was aware of this because they released multiple bulletins, and they even redesigned the cdf drum with jl3z-7h351-b to fix the problem, but never issued a recall notice. I was leaving my house, and my truck did not move. It revved up to 5 thousand rpms, and then a loud bang noise happened, and then the truck moved. I took it to the dealership, and they said the cdf drum failed, and now they quoted me $7,000 to fix the known issue. When I called Ford to ask for some sort of assistance, they responded that I should have purchased the extended warranty. This is not right that they knowingly have a defective part and are refusing to issue a recall or offer some sort of financial assistance. I drive a 2018 Ford F-150 XLT 5. 0l that has no mods or ever been tuned or modified; mileage is roughly at 121,000.

Ford consumer affairs was sent a letter with this information, too. My 2018 f150 truck had issues with the 10 speed transmission. It’s been jumping, skipping gear, down shifting for no reason. Yesterday, 12/28/25, we were returning home from a holiday trip on I-95’s left lane of the highway when the truck down-shifted from 10th gear to around 3rd or 4th gear spiking the rpm to over 5,000 rpm’s for no reason on 3 different occasions. We had to move to the right lane after the 3rd time due to the wrench light coming on and the transmission temperature gauge maxed out at super hot and turn on the hazards due to only doing 50 mph in a 70 mph highway until we could exit. This was dangerous in so many ways due to the volume of traffic on the highway. Downshifting that much instantly was like slamming on brakes with no break lights. We were verry lucky not getting rear ended and causing a possibly tragic situation. Thankfully, we did not get into an accident. There were a lot of cars on the road, as many families were returning home. This is happening all over the USA with the 10 speed transmission and may eventually cause a tragic accident on the road. We took it to the cocoa Ford dealership on 12/29/25 and the diagnostic paper states they 'performed a koeo self test and found pq7f7 for gear 10 incorrect ratio. Verified fluid vented out of top of transmission. Tech rec overhaul. All one time use parts and rear main seal. Trans cooler. Due to parts/labor cost recommend assembly replacement. '.

On December 24, 2025 at around 2:00 pm while driving my 2018 Ford F-150 from hidalgo, texas to ciudad victoria, tamaulipas, mexico, a distance of approximately 220 miles, my vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous transmission failure that placed myself, my family, and other motorists at significant risk. For the first approximately 130 miles, the vehicle operated normally with no warning signs. While traveling on a two-lane highway, I attempted to pass an 18-wheeler. During the passing maneuver, the transmission began harsh and jerky shifting, slipping, and delayed gear engagement, followed by an immediate and significant loss of power and acceleration. As soon as I completed the pass, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly and lost power, leaving me exposed in a dangerous situation with limited ability to increase speed. Because the road only had one lane in each direction, this created a high-risk scenario involving oncoming traffic. Within seconds, the 18-wheeler I had just passed rapidly approached from behind, forcing the driver to brake suddenly to avoid a collision. This put the truck driver, surrounding motorists, and my family at serious risk of a major accident. The failure occurred without warning and during a critical maneuver where reliable acceleration was necessary. The sudden loss of power made it impossible to respond safely, demonstrating a serious safety concern. At the time of the incident, the vehicle had approximately 72,000 miles, is well maintained, garage-kept, and has never been used for towing, heavy-duty work, or commercial purposes. Given the mileage and normal use, this type of transmission failure is unexpected and unsafe.

The truck had a horrible shift from 3-5 that makes it hard to even get up to speed correctly and when getting up to around 2. 5k-3k rpm it seems to slip makes a loud bang and the catch again and continues to go. It makes the truck annoying to drive and also feels like it’s just going to completely give out one day.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon returning to the residence in another vehicle, the contact became aware that the vehicle was missing. The contact's son soon became aware that the vehicle was in the woods by the residence. Upon locating the vehicle, the contact noticed that the doors were locked and that the vehicle was still in park(p). The contact stated that the vehicle had shifted out of gear and had rolled backwards into the wooded area. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and after a diagnostic was performed, the dealer discovered no defects with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Ford f150 10 speed transmission failure. Trying to cross intersection and transmission failed. I avoided an accident. Transmission had to be replaced at dealership. No warning lights or messages. Vehicle worked perfect until time of failure.

Driving the vehicle when it tries to reach the 7th gear it loses power then drops to 1st gear and won’t pass 6th gear the check engine light came on and the maintenance light. Took the vehicle into the dealer to learn that the transmission is bad and I need a new one. Solenoid stuck position a. P0752.

Truck has a lag then hard catch going from 7th to 8th gear and sometimes skips gears causing burnt transmission fluid and lower rear seals along with water pump seals all seals and gaskets are bad being Ford used plastic gaskets that year and Ford recommends changing to more current seals and gaskets but don't want to cover costs , my truck is sitting in a shop with 4,900. 00 in repairs do to Ford parts for that year faulty.

At 50k miles the transmission started to have a hard time finding a gear at low speeds, often “in neutral” - between gears for 1-2 seconds and on occasion up you 5-7 seconds. During this “neutral”, the engine could still rev freely and often built revs too high for the next gear, causing a hard ‘jerking’ motion when the next gear is engaged. This proved to be moderately dangerous when merging into traffic with propulsion being cut. At 52000 miles, 10th gear would have trouble holding at highway speeds and would disengage for that same 5-7 second gap, only to eventually resort to 9th gear. Being left powerless on the highway can be extremely dangerous if you are caught traveling up a steep grade or passing another vehicle. At 53000 miles, the above mentioned 10th gear symptom arose at a steady 70 mph, and when 9th gear was engaged the dashboard illuminated a wrench icon with a message that said “maintenance required”. I could tell that the truck was operating at reduced power at this point. After researching the issue, I discovered the problem to be the cdf drum failed - an internal component that requires a full transmission rebuild. This problem appears to be an issue that plagues not some, but all 2017-2023 10r80 at some point in their life cycle. An extremely costly fix at that.

I have a 10 speed transmission in my 2018 f150. I started noticing harsh shifting and came to fine out it is from the known issue that Ford has acknowledged. The cds clutch drum slipped do ti fault parts. I contacted Ford and they refused to help and said that my vehicle was out of warranty even though they acknowledged the service bulletin they stated that there was no recall at this time. I had to pay over $8,000 out of pocket and be without a truck for over a month.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 mph, the vehicle started jerking and shifting abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to dtc: p076f/10r80, and the dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage for the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Several times in the last few years when taking off from a stop about 4 seconds into travel the transmission disengages and the engine races. If I was expecting to get though an intersection while traffic was coming into my path of travel I would be in their way and possibly struck. It happened again today. Thankfully I had full right of way and not in anyones path of travel. I had to let the engine wind down, shift to nuetral and back to drive to get going again. I was in the middle of a left hand turn and behind other vehicles that were all traveling about about 5 mph.

Transmition issues: hard bumping going into gears, loss of power to move the truck, loss of power can happen anytime the transmition seems to shift into neutral causing a dangerous issue when trying to pull out to moving traffic. Stopping at intersections and then the truck wont go forward until there is a hard bump that feels like your getting rear ended. When diving at speeds above 45 the trans is constantly looking for gears. The truck only has 103000 miles on it. Incident occurs 3 out of 5 times I drive the truck.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission warning light illuminated, and the message to "see owner’s manual" was displayed. The contact coasted the vehicle to the dealer, who determined that the transmission had failed. The transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

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.

Noisy engine when starting up, told by dealership this is known problem that Ford took care of until 2023. I was told needs to be fixed for catastrophic engine failure could occur. The repair is about $5000. This is my [xxx] sons truck he bought in August, and I am concerned that it is not safe to drive. A truck should last more than 100000 miles. It also has a known transmission problem that could also be a safety concern. I have not had that properly diagnosed but was told by dealership that it is a common problem. That repair is estimated around $3500. I am fairly certain Ford has lost a customer. 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 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 contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle would shift roughly and would hesitate before accelerating. The failure would occur at various speeds. There were no warning lights. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving at 40 mph, and the vehicle stalled. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission had failed. A mechanic affiliated with their warranty coverage also inspected the vehicle and determined that the clutch/direct/forward (cdf) drum had failed. The transmission and the cdf had to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 84,000.

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.