general problems of the 2021 Ford F-150 - part 1

Truck fails to accelerate when transmission is in second gear, travelling at low speed (typically under 10 mph) and at low rpms (typically ~1,500). Regardless of amount of pressure applied to accelerator, the truck will remain at low rpm and speed for up to 10 seconds. This problem occurs frequently and has been reproduced by a Ford dealer. Ford TSB 25-2302 describes this problem, but in my case a dtc is not present. Because a dtc is not present, the Ford dealer refuses to proceed with corrective actions as outlined in TSB without charging me for diagnostics and labor, although the truck is still under warranty. Failure to accelerate puts me and others at risk when attempting to merge, when accelerating in slow traffic conditions, etc.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud rattling noise was heard coming from the vehicle, with no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 23v896000 (power train); however, the parts required to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers, where it was diagnosed that the left and right rear axle shaft assemblies had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the dealer found an axle bolt inside the rim of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealers confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The contact also stated that the failure recurred, and the right-side axle is beginning to detach. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The truck rapidly accelerated while I was slowly rolling into a parking spot with my foot on the brake. The harder I pushed the brake the more it seemed to accelerate. I luckily avoided hitting anything. I forced the gear shifter out of drive into park. No warning lights or messages. I contacted 3 Ford dealerships and all said they haven’t heard of this nor do they think they could identify this problem if I brought it in.

Sudden and unexpected downshifting from 4th to 1st gear when driving.

With less than 44,000 miles on my truck it suddenly began to shift in an eradic manner. It is undriveable. This is the Ford 10 speed 10 r 80 transmission. The truck is only 5 years old but is out of warranty by 17 days. Seems strange.

Trans is hanging shifting into 2nd gear, 4th gear, 7th gear, and 9th gear. Also has gotten stuck in 10th gear 3 times. Had to roll over to the side of the road turn the truck off and restart. Also have hard shifts from 1-3 and then have hard downshifts from 5-4-3.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle jerked, and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 22v188000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Unreasonable delay in remedy for recall 23v896 / 23s65 I am filing this complaint to report an unacceptable delay in the remedy for NHTSA recall 23v896 (manufacturer 23s65). This recall was issued in December 2023, yet as of April 2026, the manufacturer continues to claim that parts are unavailable for repair. This delay has persisted for nearly three years, during which time the manufacturer has continued to produce and sell new vehicles while leaving existing owners at risk. 1. Component failure & inspection: the components involved are the rear axle bolts. The vehicle and the specific components are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety risk: the safety of myself, my passengers, and others on the road is at significant risk. A failure of the rear axle hub bolts can result in a total loss of motive power (the ability to move the vehicle) or cause the vehicle to roll away while in park. Both scenarios significantly increase the risk of a high-speed crash or injury to pedestrians. 3. Confirmation & history: the necessity for this repair has been confirmed by an authorized dealer service center. However, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer’s corporate representatives, police, or insurance. 4. Symptoms & warnings: there were no warning lamps, messages, or physical symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I only became aware of the defect through the official recall notification provided by the manufacturer and the NHTSA. Conclusion: it is unacceptable that a known safety defect remains unremedied for this duration. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate the manufacturer's failure to provide a remedy within a reasonable timeframe as required by law, especially considering the continued production of new units using similar components.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the contact noticed an unusual grinding sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact noticed a lot of unusual clicking or rattling sounds. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed a fire underneath the vehicle. In addition, the drive shaft was detached. The contact stated that the fire burned out independently. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the drive shaft had scorching around it. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the recall, NHTSA campaign number: 21v986000 (power train, structure), was performed on the contact's VIN about six months ago. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Transmission is shuddering at speeds up to 60mph. Can cause the vehicle to jump repeatedly. I am worried at such a high speed the vehicle could lose control and put my life and others at risk. Also can shift very hard when coming to a stop so much so that it feels like I’ve been hit from behind by another vehicle. I’ve never had any type of messages or warning lights prior or post. After searching up issue I have found hundreds and hundreds of other vehicle owners with the 10r80 transmission to be experiencing similar problems. Ford has acknowledged the problem and have a fix but at a high cost. Some people are not able to repair vehicles at that moment could be putting themselves and other at risk of death or injury.

My truck started shifting gears hard while driving and wouldn’t go into reverse when parking. Performance transmission shop is telling me I need a new transmission. Getting multiple error codes.

Two of my catalytic converters have failed twice. The first time was at the end of January 2024, the second time was at the end of March 2026. All regular maintenance on the vehicle has been completed at a Ford dealership. The only explanation I have received for the failure of the catalytic converters was "the parts were defective. " I have owned five Ford trucks in my lifetime and this is the first time the catalytic converters have failed, and they have failed twice on a five year old truck. This is, however, the first hybrid truck I have ever owned. Perhaps there is a defect in the design of the motor that the general public may not be aware of? hopefully you can look into this situation to prevent someone else from going through the drama that I'm having to deal with. Lightening has already struck twice and I'm just praying that it will strike the third time for me before the two year warranty runs out on these catalytic converters that were just installed in my truck.

Vehicle: 2021 Ford F-150 XLT issue: transmission malfunction and safety concern I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a serious and ongoing transmission issue with my 2021 Ford F-150 XLT. The vehicle has exhibited multiple dangerous and unpredictable transmission behaviors that raise significant safety concerns. First, the truck experiences a pronounced 3–4 shift flare. During this shift, the engine rpm rises abnormally high before the transmission engages the next gear. This creates a noticeable delay in acceleration and reduces driver control, particularly when merging into traffic or accelerating from lower speeds. Second, there is a severe hard engagement when shifting from park into drive or reverse. The vehicle produces a loud and forceful clunk, accompanied by a jarring motion. This issue occurs consistently and gives the impression of excessive internal wear or mechanical failure within the transmission system. Third, the transmission intermittently becomes stuck in gear or behaves erratically. This includes sudden, harsh downshifts without driver input, bringing the vehicle to a stop, and occasions where the vehicle resists changing gears altogether. These events are abrupt and can be dangerous, especially at highway speeds or in heavy traffic conditions. Additionally, there have been instances of delayed engagement and hesitation when selecting drive or reverse, further compounding concerns about reliability and safety. These transmission problems are not only disruptive but also pose a real risk of accident or injury due to loss of predictable vehicle operation. I am requesting that this issue be formally investigated, as it may indicate a broader defect affecting similar vehicles. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.

I’ve had the transmission replaced along with the torque converter when both failed less than a year ago. The transmission and the torque converter are now doing the same thing it was doing prior to the replacement. The transmission slips in 4th, 7th and 8th gears. The torque converter whines loudly. Ford will not fix the issues with these transmissions without a hefty out of pocket fee. It’s become very well known that all of these 10r80 engines/transmissions are a major problem that Ford is not remedying. If this transmission gives out when I’m on the interstate it’s going to cause a major wreck. I live in the mountains, so a bad transmission can quickly turn into a deadly accident. These transmissions need a permanent fix, not for us owners to continue paying thousands of dollars for replacements or rebuilds. This is Fords problem.

Several times, the vehicle has failed to accelerate or respond to accellerator pedal input for several seconds. It seems to happen when switching from electric to hybrid modes, and when shifting between lower gears simultaneously. Once the switch to hybrid occurs the engine will rev high with some acceleration even if the accelerator pedal is no longer being pressed. This acceleration has happened when I had my foot over the brake pedal in anticipation of pulling over to stop since the truck would not accelerate. There are no warning lights or messages that appear on the vehicle. It is dangerous because it seems to happen when trying to accelerate from a lower speed. If it happens when trying to change lanes in stop and go traffic or while pulling into traffic other cars would have to brake hard to avoid hitting our vehicle that has experienced stalled acceleration. It is also dangerous because once the transition happens there is brief uncommanded acceleration.

Giving an error of reverse assist and not available when starting truck and when placing truck in reverse. Have look up to seen if included in the recall that was issued 6 days ago. Have called dealership to confirm that not part of recall. The message just showed up last night. This truck should be included in the recall.

My truck has harsh shifting when I accelerate and when I slow down. It skips out of gear into neutral and then goes back into gear. I believe the problem is that my system isn’t communicating with the transmission correctly. There weren’t any warning messages before or after this problem started. I did some research, and my model and year of my truck do have a problem like this no dealership or service center has not inspected this problem.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side rear axle shaft assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable.

-the hub bolt in the rear axle broke. Truck had to be towed to dealership. Problem was confirmed by dealership. There was no warning lamp and only found out due to flat tire. -in 12/2022, power train failure left vehicle "dead" in the middle of the highway with family of four stranded 400 miles away from home.

The vehicle is experiencing a chronic, documented loss of engine coolant with no external leaks identified, accompanied by a persistent odor of burning coolant. Despite nine months of notification and two separate Ford authorized dealerships attempting repairs, the defect remains unresolved. To date, dealerships have performed only 'surface-level' pressure and dye tests. They have refused to perform thorough diagnostics despite the clear evidence of consumption. This creates a severe safety hazard: coolant loss on this engine platform is a known precursor to sudden engine stall and potential engine fire. By failing to identify the internal leak path, Ford is requiring me to operate a vehicle with an unpredictable mechanical deficit. The absence of a warning lamp (cel) does not mitigate the risk; it confirms a mechanical failure that the current onboard diagnostics are failing to capture before a catastrophic event occurs.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and failed to move even while in neutral(n). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair, which the contact approved. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

I put the truck into reverse and tried to back out of my driveway. The truck didn't move for several seconds, then started to move. I brakes, shifted into drive and the truck continued to move backwards. I applied the brakes and the transmission seemed to spin before it moved forward. I drove down the street to the corner. I applied the brakes and the was a shudder and bang as the transmission downshifted from 4th to 3rd. This occurs intermittently over the last 3 months. When I searched online, I learned that these symptoms are consistent with those described in Ford TSB 23-2350. I had an independent mechanic confirm the problem and he noted the fluid was dark. Whrn I spoke to the dealership, they tried to explain the issue was due to the transmission being cold. I'm the original owner of the truck.

10 speed transmission is not working 1 still gear hyper extends dont wanna shift 2 gear bangs 3 rundown rough then sometimes dowshifts back to 2 nd gear the transmission dosent wanna get hot to normal level.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The transmission shifts hard when downshifting from 10th gear on the highway. There is a loud audible clunk that you can also physically feel. Also when shifting around 3rd gear during city driving there is the same problem. Both of these could lead to loss of traction/vehicle control.

There is a hard jerk that happens when moving from a dead stop and then it will shift into gear. Its been reproduced by a maintenance shop. They stated it was the transmission. It has not been inspected by a manufacturer. There was no warning lamps which causes a high risk of safety, including a possibility of accident while on the road.

When the truck is put into reverse especially when cold the transmission does not initially go into gear. When it finally does the vehicle lurches rearward violently and I have to slam on the brakes to not hit anything. The transmission was just "bench" rebuilt under the Ford powertrain warranty supposedly with a cdf drum and valve body replacement along with software updates including adaptive reset and relearn with the appropriate drive cycles however the vehicle still exhibits this condition. I called Ford customer service and filed a complaint with them last month. They told me to bring to another dealer which the vehicle is currently at and has been for a month. They claim that it is normal for this transmission and refuse to fix it. I have video evidence of the truck being put into reverse and the rpm rising before it slams into reverse. I also demonstrated first thing one morning to a technician after a cold soak overnight and he agreed that the vehicle has a delayed engagement in reverse and when it did finally engage it did so violently. The dealer told me to record it and that would be the best evidence and I did along with presenting it to them. After this they changed their mind and said actually a technician has to witness which I also did. Again they said this wasn't good enough. A field engineer supposedly looked at the vehicle and they wont tell me what he said. Very odd. I feel like im getting the run around and have an unsafe vehicle that Ford refuses and it trying to worm their way out of safetly fixing! in the description below is when the truck can be seen in the video recreating the problem however it has done this countless times.

My truck started to over heat due to lost of radiator fluid. The cause was the transmission coolant line chafing against front drive shaft.

2021 Ford f150 powerboost hybrid. There is a lot of internet chatter and forum chatter about known issues with the following, and it recently almost led to a major and likely serious injury accident. Specific parameters: low speed (~5 mph) slow roll under internal combustion power, not battery in 2nd gear only when gas pedal is pressed vehicle does nothing. Does not respond. Two choices are to hammer the gas, or hit the breaks. Does two things, slams forward eventually after 3-4 second delay if gas pedal depressed or shifts down or into electric mode (internal combustion off) and then will once again go from first to third in normal acceleration progression and pace they must have an issue with the standard 1-3 skip programming with ice power and 2nd gear being a hang-up I almost got t boned by a semi truck due to this with family in car. This could have been deadly. It happens as an annoyance at least once per day but this one was scary. Online, and based on what I can find - Ford is aware of this issue as they have the 1-3-5 programming in the transmission but when it finds itself (due to real world driving conditions) in 2nd gear under internal combustion, it does not know what to do. I brought it to Ford last year in anchorage and they are attempting to blame it on normal hybrid system operation. That is not the case. It would be something that could be duplicated but with effort. A basic, simple test drive is not going to find this. They are aware of this being an issue. If you have any situation where you are rolling through, merging into traffic, or other scenario where you end up in 2 under ice you are in trouble. Dangerous, scary, and totally a manufacturer issue that is known and needs to be taken very seriously.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was parked on the shoulder of the roadway. The following day, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rear axle failure. The contact was informed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were on back order. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 137,192.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the hub bolt had fractured. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.

Loss of power pulling onto a major highway -- luckily I was able to pull off onto a side street but had I not I could have been rear ended. Vehicle has been at athens Ford since January 15th -- Ford states on their recall notification that parts are readily available -- they are not. I have been waiting for 2 months to get my vehicle back and have no resolution in sight. Dealer states they have no eta on parts availability; Ford customer service also does not have an update.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 10 mph and leaving a parking lot, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle, before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle bolts had fractured. The contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train); and the VIN was included; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

My 2021 Ford F-150 with the 10-speed transmission has started shifting very hard and making grinding noises while accelerating. The truck will sometimes hesitate between gears and then slam into gear unexpectedly. I have also experienced sudden hard downshifts while driving at normal speeds. The issue seems to be getting worse over time. The grinding noise and harsh shifting are most noticeable during acceleration, but the transmission also feels rough during normal driving. At times it feels like the transmission is slipping before catching again. This creates a safety concern because the truck can unexpectedly jerk, hesitate, or downshift hard in traffic and at highway speeds. I have seen many similar complaints online involving the Ford 10r80 transmission, including issues related to harsh shifting and internal transmission problems. Ford has also issued technical service bulletins related to this transmission. No warning lights consistently appeared before the issue started. The problem has happened multiple times and can be reproduced during regular driving. The vehicle has not yet been fully repaired or diagnosed at the time of this report. The transmission and vehicle are available for inspection upon request.