general problems of the 2020 Ford F-150 - part 1

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle jerked abnormally, experienced a transmission shifting delay between gears, and occasionally slipped out of gear. The contact stated that after slipping out of gear, the transmission failed to re-engage gear and slipped continuously. The vehicle was inspected by a transmission specialist, who confirmed the failure and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Transmission slips gears and sometimes shifts violently. I took the truck to a Ford dealership for an assessment and was told I need to replace the whole transmission. I also have a problem with oil consumption from the engine. I was told by the same dealership that this was a known problem with the 5. 0 engines built from 2019 to, I believe 2023 and that it would require an engine replacement. I bought this truck from an individual and now I am stuck with it.

Truck suddenly shifted from gear 8 to gear 2 then 4 reducing my speed suddenly causing other vehicles to almost hit me at around 40 mph. I drove home with the transmission erratically shifting up and down even though I kept my speed under 30 mph. That was about 10 days ago and I made an attempt to drive it a few days ago after researching and in the same result happened. It seems I have been victimized by the cdf drum crawling out of its space leading to an imbalance of transmission fluid pressure. About 2 miles after the initial problem. A wrench symbol appeared on the instrument cluster with a message under it that says see manual. Just as every time I've tried to find something in the manual. After spending several minutes of frustration, I still never found the wrench symbol or what it means.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission jerked while shifting gear. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and the vehicle was diagnosed with cdf drum failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,500.

Harsh shifting from 3rd to 4th and 7th to 8th.

Transmission shifted from 4th to 1st while driving a steady 25 mph, then lost all forward drive, the transmission slips, then will slam into gear. I parked it for two weeks until I could get it to the shop. Driving it to the Ford dealer today (2 September 2026) I had to stop the vehicle twice because the transmission was doing the same thing. Currently have 70k miles on it.

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10r80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion failed to grab 1st gear when starting from a stop (revs, doesn't go). This occurred while turning across traffic, creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10r80 cdf clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the cdf sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, rpm flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10r80 cdf clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed. Furthermore, I have already had two transmission rebuilds under warranty, and it's going back to the shop for a third time with the same issues 9/8/26. The same issues. I bought this truck in 2024 at 70k miles and it has been nothing but problems.

Transmission shifts from a higher gear to 1st when going over 60, also transmission has a hard time shifting skips 2nd, 4th, and sometimes 6th gear.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a delay in the transmission shifting, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed, and the vehicle jolted. The engine revved to 7,000-8,000 rpm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The contact associated the failure with technical service bulletin: 25-2301 (harsh/delayed engagement and/or harsh/delayed shift) and technical service bulletin 25-2475(harsh/delayed engagement and/or harsh/delayed shift). The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Transmission started "clunking" and shifting erratically over a two week period before warning light came on that said "powertrain needs attention. . . Contact dealer" took the car to monticello Ford in monticello NY and they tested it based on diagnostic code and replaced filter and fluid. They reset the computer and told me to drive it for a week so computer could "relearn" driving habits. Drove truck for 4 days and once again transmission started clunking and shifting hard with loud thunks when transmission gears engaged. Had my [xxx] grandaughter in the truck with me on the highway when the transmission started to slip and would not engage. Other vehicles had to brake suddenly to avoid hitting me. Had to pull over and restart truck to get the transmission to re engage. Transmission issues have been a known problem with the Ford f 150 trucks since 2017 and yet Ford has done nothing to correct the problems with their customers. . . . . There are currently three outstanding class action lawsuits against them regarding the faulty transmissions. . . . . This is a safety issue that Ford must be held accountable for and fix these trucks at no cost to the customers who own these trucks immediately!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While driving I will get a wrench symbol with a bunch of codes pop up u0121:00:28 u0131:00:28 u0137:00:28 u0164:00:28 u0199:00:28 u0200:00:28 u0212:00:28 u0252:00:28 u0256:00:28 u1012:00:28 p0557:00:28 p1935:00:68 p193e:00:28 I have also had it jerk while driving ( went down into first gear) while having no power to my gauge cluster ac nothing.

The transmission would not shift out of second gear turning onto a busy highway and my pregnant wife and I were almost rear ended. It then went to first and hard shifted out of gear putting excessive pressure on our midsections. The cause most likely is a well known issue that Ford engineers knew about and negligently ignored for several years with the faulty 10r80 transmission. It is not known whether it was a valve solenoid issue or the cdf drum issue but both are very common issues. My wife could have had issues from the stress of the incident and maybe the pressure from the seatbelt. The probelm has not been confirmed or inspected but I cant not afford testing since transmission doagnostics are extremely expensive. I have attched a summary from my own diagnostics of similiar events as the problem still exists. The system is available for inspection upon request.

Transmission failed. Truck jerks at stop. Transmission went out at 68,000 miles. My dad has a 2019 with same problem and went out at 72,000 miles. Someone needs to hold Ford accountable for this. Extended warranty didn't want to pay the full price. Now I am out of pocket $1,800. Going to file a lawsuit against Ford and the extended warranty company.

My transmission hard shifts from 1st to 3rd. It really switches in 2nd gear. It also hard shifts into 5th and 8th gear. Sometimes it misses the gear almost like I’m in neutral. This happens when I’m in 7th or 8th gear. Plus, if I’m on the highway and I need to accelerate, I feel a hard clunk while changing gears. This started in may.

Transmission issues that are in line with what seems to be a well known 10r80 issue with a poorly engineered cdf drum. Transmission will randomly shift from a high gear down to first generating a ton of noise and impacting the handling. It has not become a permanant failure yet but is an extremely well known issue that always results in a transmission rebuild with updated/correctly engineered components at my expense. I am worried it will cause a rear wheel lockup or a damaging amount of engine rpm one of these days. It is sporadic and isn't something that has been duplicated by a technician due to it being isolated and completely random in occurrence. It definitely seems to do it more often when it is cold out.

The 10 speed transmission at low transmission temps shifts extremley hard to the point where it will down shift in a slow acceleration back to first gear and chirp the tires, in the rain this could cause me to lose traction in adverse weather conditions. Somtimes it will shift into to neutral and not accelerate at all for a few seconds before shifting back into first gear, making it dangerous if I im trying to cross a road and the truck essentially stalls for a few seconds blocking the road way. The last full service oil change I had said the transmission fluid was correct. On online forums I have seen a lot of the same issues with other owners. I asked Ford dealership about it and they told me to drive it until a warning light comes on. This sounds like some issue with the transmission itself and not a wear and tear issue as I have 100,000 miles on the truck and do very little towing with it.

Truck equipped with the 10r80 downshifted from 10th gear to 1st gear while on the freeway doing 80mph. Not safe at all.

My 2020 Ford f150 was diagnosed by a shop to have the well known cdf drum issue. This issue is very expensive to repair and have experienced several safety concerns while conducting daily drives to and from work or other locations nearby. The transmission will not allow you to accelerate while on the freeway making it impossible to merge safely out of the way or even just get up to speed safely. The truck will flare up in rpm but will not accelerate or shift into the next gear. Once it does it will do it very violently.

I suspect a cdf clutch drum sleeve migration. This is a notorious manufacturing defect in 2017-2020 1080 units. The truck just passed the 60,000 mile power train warranty. A 2020 4x4 sport is a highly sought-after, higher-trim truck. I invested heavily in a premium vehicle and expected it to last well past 65,000 miles. My truck is at the group 1 Ford dealership in shreveport and the service manager stated I need a new transmission. Quoted $8,800. I can not afford this and would like it to be covered for helped paid for. The service manager told me to call customer service at Ford and ask for a goodwill case stating these transmissions are in a lawsuit currently and Ford made a replacement part for the specific transmission. The cdf drum. The truck up and down shifts while driving down the road randomly and is a safety concern. Hard shifting between 1-3 and 4-6 speed. The 10 speed transmission.

Driving on freeway 10 speed transmission failed - hard knock and jerk, almost got in an accident. Gears 6-9 dead. Apparently this 10-speed transmission is a known issue, with many technical service bulletins issued, class action lawsuits, and angry customers. Ford refuses to issue a recall and the NHTSA refused to hold them to account. Something is broken - how can Ford make such a known, terrible important component to a vehicle that fails regularly - yet get away with it? I thought the NHTSA was supposed to protect us from these unsafe vehicles?.

Drive a 2020 Ford f150 with a 2. 7 l. Xlt with a a 10r80 transmission. I was getting on the highway. Got up to 70 75 mph didn't make it very far and my transmission jerked real hard shut me forward and I hit the steering wheel and broke a tooth and it went from 70 to 75 mph down to zero from top gears all the way to one and now it won't go past 7th gear on the highway and if it does it's either at a slight downhill or level roadway and I might make it into 8th or 9th. But to continue with forward celeration to keep current speed, it stays in seven gear running at high rpms and Ford won't do nothing about it because it's not on a recall list and I contacted Ford corporate and filed with them. Heard nothing filed with my Ford dealership that's in town for them to file it with Ford and nothing and Ford won't do their job to fix the problem that's been going on with the 10 already transmissions and the vehicle is not safe to operate or drive and it's my only vehicle and it puts me at risk driving it for my life. And with it being a safety concern, dave won't do anything about it and I don't have $10 to $20,000 for them to replace the transmission and the labor and all that.

Another failed cdf on 10r80 transmission, these are happening everywhere! where is the recall?!?!?!?!.

My pickup has the 10r80 transmission. It currently slips in lower gears and sometimes no 10th gear.

The transmission failed while driving. While accelerating to speed, there was a "clunk" and then the vehicle was unable to shift to another gear, stuck in 7th. The vehicle lurched continuously, decelerated suddenly, and I was unable to shift up or down. Cars behind me swerved to avoid hitting me. Luckily I was able to drive at below speed with hazards lights flashing to the nearby dealership. Truck has completed every recommended maintenance check and only has 65,600 miles on it. Repair costs for new transmission were stated to me at $9800 by the dealership. There were no warning signs or symptoms prior to the failure. However, reading multiple online complaints indicates Ford has known about the defect for the 10r80 transmission failure for years, as early as 2017, and there is a recall for this for model years 2017-2018. This is clearly a safety issue, and I am lucky I was not on the highway at high speed nor had my grandchildren in the vehicle.

While driving my 2020 f150 VIN # [xxx], at highway speeds, transmission abruptly shifts down to 1st gear then back to 9th gear and does not advance to 10th gear. Also, while accelerating, at 3 gear shift to 4th, there is a slipping of the transmission and eventually it kicks in to 6th gear. When the downshift occurs at highway speeds, the transmission slows immediately where we have to pull over or get hit by traffic in our lane. This problem was confirmed by an independent service center once I took it in. Other than the independent service center, I have not had anyone else inspect the vehicle. When this error happens, I get a wrench light come on and it will not go away until I shut off the engine and wait 1 min or so, then restart the truck. In one incident, when the truck was rolling at highway speed and the downshift occurred, the rear wheels locked as though I had hit the breaks. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I am submitting this complaint regarding the 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford F-150 because I believe it presents a potential safety hazard. The transmission has exhibited harsh and unpredictable shifting, including hard upshifts, hard downshifts, delayed engagement when shifting into drive or reverse, and sudden jerking during acceleration and deceleration. The vehicle has also experienced hesitation followed by abrupt engagement, creating unsafe driving conditions, especially when entering traffic, making turns, or driving at highway speeds. These transmission problems have occurred repeatedly and have become more frequent over time. The unpredictable operation increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle or being involved in a crash due to delayed or unexpected acceleration. I have maintained the vehicle according to the manufacturer's recommended service schedule and have sought repairs. Despite these efforts, the transmission issues have persisted. The truck has 26k miles and I have only used it as daily transportation. I am aware that many owners of Ford vehicles equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission have reported similar problems. Because these issues appear to be widespread and involve a critical safety-related component, I respectfully request that the national highway traffic safety administration investigate these transmission failures to determine whether a safety defect exists and whether additional action is warranted. I believe this defect creates an unreasonable risk to vehicle occupants and the public, and I ask NHTSA to review this complaint as part of its ongoing evaluation of Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission.

Cdf drum failure on transmission causing transmission to miss shifts, rough shifts, and caused catastrophic damage to transmission, at just over 100k miles. It was out of warranty, but considering the number of complaints surrounding this issue, this needs to be a recall, and there needs to be financial reparations made by Ford to vehicle owners who have experienced this issue, necessitating a transmission replacement. Totally unacceptable.

At about 15000 mile (under warranty) I had to take it to the dealer for hard shifting. At around 58000 mile and still under warranty I started to have intermittent hard shifting and searching for gears. At 63000 (out of warranty) I had complete transmission failure with gear lockouts occuring on 2nd and 7th gear and hard shifting. Applied for to Ford for after warranty assistance and was told to keep driving the truck while they worked it out with customer service assistance. Ai is reflecting to stop driving the vehicle immediately as it is a known safety issue from Ford. Wth!.

Due to cd drum known issue with these transmissions, they are unsafe to drive, pulling into traffic truck will not accelerate while it searches for gears. I can not drive this truck with this known issue, it's to dangerous.

Harsh shifting in between gears. Jerky shifting and shudders while shifting as well.

2020 Ford F-150 custom-built in sept 2020 developed severe, textbook warning signs of rear-end failure while traveling—specifically severe low-speed metallic clanging and high-pitched whirring from the rear wheels. Recognizing the potential danger, we safely exited the highway and sought an immediate diagnostic from an independent shop. The diagnostic confirmed the defect mechanism detailed in NHTSA campaign 23v896000: fractured axle hub bolts, disintegrated pinion gears, and metal shaving contamination throughout the 9. 75-inch axle housing. While we avoided a high-speed highway shutdown by proactively seeking repairs, the underlying structural manufacturing defect is identical to the active recall. My truck's build date sits squarely inside the part production window specified by Ford in that campaign (starting Jan 28, 2020), but my VIN is excluded due to a generation cutoff. Note: we have retained the full replaced axle assembly fully intact and available for physical inspection by NHTSA investigators.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the message on “powertrain malfunction – reduced engine power” was displayed on the Ford app. After the message was displayed, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 mph. A certified mechanic was contacted and stated that the failure was associated with the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Went to speed up as I was approaching a ramp going uphill and almost towards the top the truck decided to down shift to first gear going about 45 mph. No accident occurred as no one was around me.

The transmission has a history of harsh shifting and slipping. At 101,600 miles being told this is a known issue with the transmission and likely needs to be replaced.

I own a Ford F-150 equipped with the 10r80 10-speed transmission. The truck has approximately 79,000 miles and has been diagnosed by a Ford dealership with cdf drum/cylinder and solenoid body failure. The quoted repair cost is over $10,000 for a remanned transmission replacement. This truck has shifted hard since approximately 30,000 miles, but I was led to believe it was normal behavior for the 10-speed transmission. The vehicle has been lightly used and properly maintained through Ford. It is still on its original tires and brakes, which supports that this is not a high-abuse or heavy-use vehicle. A major transmission failure at 79,000 miles under normal use is not reasonable vehicle durability. The failure involves the cdf drum/cylinder, a known failure point in the Ford 10r80 transmission. This can cause harsh shifting, delayed engagement, gear skipping, slipping, abnormal acceleration behavior, and unpredictable shifting. These conditions create a safety concern when accelerating into traffic, merging, turning across lanes, passing, or driving at highway speeds. Ford has issued technical service guidance related to the 10r80 transmission and cdf drum/cylinder failure, including diagnostic procedures for hydraulic leakage and internal repair. This confirms the issue is known and identifiable, yet owners are still facing extremely expensive failures outside the standard warranty period. Another concern is that Ford is proposing remanufactured transmission replacements rather than new replacements, despite reports of repeat cdf-related failures after remanufactured units if updated cdf components are not included. This is not normal wear and tear. This is premature failure of a known defective transmission component that affects drivability, reliability, and safety. Ford should not leave customers responsible for potentially multiple $10,000+ repair costs for a known 10r80/cdf drum failure.