381 problems related to power train have been reported for the 2021 Ford F-150. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2021 Ford F-150 based on all problems reported for the 2021 F-150.
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.
Transmission downshifted while driving at speed causing wheels to lock up.
10 speed transmission jumps at highway speeds, clunks when stopping, and slips when cold. I've had it to the dealer and they replaced the torque converter, and I've had it back several more times. The garage refuses to allow another appointment since Ford engineers say the slipping and jumping is within specs and since no lights or warnings are noted I just have to live with it. The mechanics can feel it but are helpless to do anything about it. Ford refuses to fix it and it is a well-known problem.
I had my 2021 F-150 into the local Ford dealership not even a year ago due to a shifting issue. I was on the interstate and passing a car in the passing lane on the interstate and my truck shifted so hard I thought I lost something and then kinds lost power for a minute. The dealership ran a test on it, and it failed. It was some type of valve that was bad I guess Ford and gm are having the issue. Now I am starting to have the same issue on now it is down around 4th to 3rd or 3rd to 2nd gear, but when it shifts once in a while it is a very hard shift and it scares the hell out of you. Now once in a while when I go to shift from drive to park or drive to reverse the shifter will not move. Like I said I am getting ready to get ahold of the dealership again and get it in to be looked at I am just waiting for winter to be over.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the contact heard an abnormally loud booming sound. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, exited the vehicle. Upon inspecting underneath the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driveshaft was fractured and damaged. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the heat shield had rubbed on the driveshaft, and the driveshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v986000(power train, structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 received a letter indicating that parts for the recall repair were available. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that parts were on back order. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted hard with unintended upshifts. The contact stated that the vehicle was able shift out of a higher gear occasionally upon switching to manual mode. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Ford has refused, on multiple occasions and at multiple dealerships, to address the NHTSA recall number 23v896 (mfg. Recall number 23s65) issue with the wheel end hub bolt in the rear axle. Well, this weekend, the bolt on the passenger side rear axle broke off, rendering the vehicle undriveable. I brought it in to the lithia Ford dealership (who's online information said they were open) to get it addressed. They were closed, no one was there, and they won't even give me a loaner vehicle while the F-150 is inoperable. This recall has been out for two years now and they still won't deal with it. Absolute neglect of their obligations and an unsafe practice!.
Incident description:the vehicle experienced a complete internal transmission failure while driving, creating a severe and sudden loss of power on the roadway. A professional technician's diagnostic assessment confirmed active fault code p07f7 (incorrect gear ratio 10th gear) and explicitly cited Ford technical service bulletin TSB #25-2474, pointing directly to a failed internal mechanical cdf clutch drum sleeve. On October 31, 2025, the dealership attempted to patch the issue by replacing only the external electronic transmission solenoids. However, this did not address the true internal mechanical defect, causing the transmission to fail again immediately with the exact same symptoms. Ford has acknowledged this severe design flaw via an internal customer satisfaction program but has strictly capped coverage at 70,000 miles. Because this identical mechanical failure occurred at 81,893 miles, Ford has denied all financial and safety assistance to fix the actual broken mechanical hardware. This widespread manufacturing defect affecting 10r80 transmissions causes vehicles to suddenly lose propulsion in traffic, creating an imminent crash hazard. This campaign must be expanded to a mandatory safety recall.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 23v896000 (power train), 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline), and 25v729000 (visibility). The dealer was contacted. However, parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted; however, the phone call was dropped five times. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I have received multiple letter from Ford indicating the solution for this recall 23s65 is available at dealership. However, every Ford dealership I have reached out to says there are no parts available to fix the recall. My Ford dealership has placed the order on November 2025 but they have no eta when the parts will become available.
Transmission downshift to first gear on the highway.
My 2021 Ford F-150 has been inoperable for over three months due to a safety recall involving the rear axle hub. The dealer and manufacturer have been unable to remedy the recall within a reasonable time due to parts unavailability, and no repair timeline has been provided. I requested a loaner vehicle from the dealer and was told there were six to seven customers ahead of me. The dealer reported to Ford corporate that I declined a loaner vehicle, which is not accurate. No loaner was made available to me, and I was forced to obtain alternate transportation through my employer. The dealer initially required payment to inspect my vehicle for the recall and held the truck for approximately one week before stating the issue was not recall related. When I asked how this determination was made, I was told additional payment was required to disassemble the rear hub for further inspection. After escalating the issue and expressing concern about the handling of the recall diagnosis, the dealership director contacted me and later confirmed that the issue was, in fact, related to the recall. However, I was told it would take a couple of months to repair due to parts backorder. At this point, my vehicle has been unusable for over three months with no repair timeline, no manufacturer provided loaner or rental vehicle, and no resolution. I am continuing to make payments and maintain insurance on a vehicle I cannot safely operate due to an unresolved safety recall. This appears to be an unreasonable delay in remedying a safety defect.
The transmission will downshifting and the transmission starts jerking then the engine starts missing for about 30 seconds to a minute but the Ford dealership said it's not showing any codes so it's not happening now I can't get it fixed they didn't think having a vehicle that starts missing for no reason isn't a problem but the torque converter won't throw codes and it's attached directly to the crankshaft so it's messing with the engine to get it to start missing.
Dealer has now had my car for almost 60 days with no resolution manufacturer recall number23s65 NHTSA recall number23v896 my asset is basically frozen at this point with zero eta and any care from Ford. I am willing to trade it in at this point but can’t even do that.
I have taken my truck to two seperate Ford dealerships. Both acknowledging something strange on the transmission with the hesitations, the jerkiness and the hard shifting that happens. The first replaced the trans fluid and the filter. The second dealer replaced the valve body. During the 5th visit. They had me drive around their foreman to show him the problems. While he did feel the jerkiness and hesitations I feel, he said that its pretty much not bad enough yet and that the dealership would be held responsible for the cost of a new transmission if they replaced it and Ford deemed it not needing to be replaced. Ford corp told me they wouldn't intervene with their attempt to fix it. The Ford dealer sent me home and didn't fix anything the 5th time, even after explaining I felt harsh jerking on the way home to the point it felt like it was kicking me and a bunch of white smoke came out of the tailpipe. I even provided them a video of the white smoke when completely stopped after had been driving for 3 hours. The service on this truck is completely up to date and absolutely no reason at 41k miles I should have all these issue with this transmission. Ford has been resisting to replace this transmission but is willing to sell me a $4k extended warranty. Its getting old. This saga needs to end. Ford needs to just recall these transmissions already. This fight has been ongoing long enough! and Ford corporate wont even help me. During the 3rd and 4th visit they replaced the valve body sent me home and the next day I had to bring it back after coming out of my work and transmission fluid being all over the ground right after they "fixed" it. They didnt give me a tow truck but rather made me drive almost 20 miles to their dealership. They claim the transmission pan warped but they just didnt screw the pan on correctly and ensure the pan seal was in good shape.
Hello, my 2021 Ford f150 with 10 speed automatic transmission is believe 10r80 is the issue. I've experienced some delayed shifting, erratic shifting. Also, some when coming to a stop. I've had the transmission serviced with a fluid drain and new filter. Current mileage approximate 53k. I did research to find the 10 speed. Transmission to having issues with a class action lawsuit.
Daytime running lights quit working. This happens on numerous f150s with reflector headlights. Transmission issues hard shifting and downshifting that could cause wreck due to sudden slowing of vehicle. Known issue with f150 2021-2023.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle into the dealer for regular service, the contact was informed that the rear axle hub was fractured. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 32,000.
The transmission was slipping in 2nd and 10th gear. This was confirmed by the dealer. A full transmission had to be replaced at 66,000 miles. The vehicle had an excellent maintenance record and well kept. Ford did pay half of the cost but I still ended up spending $6k out of pocket and my vehicle was in the shop for 27 days.
The 10r80 transmission is failing. I have safety concerns for myself and others due to loss of acceleration and violent down shifts. The issue has been reproduced by my mechanic shop. The dealership will not help me with the issue. There have been no dash lights until the failure occurred. The only indication was some occasional rough shifting leading up to the incidents.
We have taken our F-150 to the dealership multiple times for a clunking issue under the truck, and have been told that it is related to the recall issued. Although, it has never been repaired. We take it in a couple of weeks ago for the exact same issue that has been going on since October of 2024 and suddenly it is a transmission issue. We are told that they can gladly repair the transmission for $10,000 now that they put us off until the extended warranty expired. I think this is happening a lot, as the exact thing happened to my friend's daughter. Also, it appears upon doing a little research that 2021-2024 F-150s and explorers have this issue frequently well before they reach the 100,000 mile mark. Many times before the buyer has even paid off the loan for said automobiles. This surely poses a safety risk, as well because you never know when the vehicle is going to fail. Also, my husband took his truck in telling them that it wouldn't go into gear and the shifter had a problem in February of 2024, it took the truck's shifter literally breaking off in the driveway (thank goodness) and being towed in to the dealership before it was repaired.
When making right turn to get on highway accelerate pedal pressed vehicle wont take of after releasing pedal and pressing again few times thn it takes off. Its been twice already I was gonna get rear ended.
My truck has had both rear axle bolts broken since October of 2025. This is part of the recall 23s65/23v896 for the max tow axles. My dealer ordered parts in October, yet they're still supposidly on national backorder from Ford. New vehicles are coming off the assembly line with these axles every day, and I can find several oem parts websites online selling the fixed axles, yet Ford continues to tell me that I need to wait longer. This is a safety issue since both of my rear axle bolts are broken, so if the axle were to slip out of the splines I could lose all power.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle was shaking erratically. There were no warning lights illuminated. In addition, the gear shifter independently shifted into neutral. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Pulling onto [xxx] , with cars coming at me at 55 mph or more, the transmission slammed into gear and caused it to stall. Dealership diagnosed cdf failure and recommended replacement of the transmission. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Ford has released multiple tsbs related to a known design flaw with their 10r80 transmission that causes the transmission to experience hard shifts while moving and often occurs in traffic. The hard shifts can cause the vehicle to stall which creates a very unsafe situation, especially on highways and interstates. The transmission defect has been redesigned in newer vehicles, however, there are thousands if not hundred of thousands of these vehicles on roadways that can break down suddenly causing a major accident. The Ford owners forums have been riddle with concerns about this issue related to the cdf drum in the 10r80 transmission.
4 months after taking vehicle in for recall fixes, both recalls on vehicle have not been remediated due to parts not being available. No eta on availability and get a run around when asking for more info. Hub shaft recall stats that driving the vehicle with a broken hub bolt will wear shafts but no loaner was given so I have no choice but to drive vehicle with a broken bolt. Ford customer service told me its ok to drive the vehicle but never stated if they are replacing the entire rear end or just the parts listed on the recall. . What is dirving the vehicle ruins the splines on the shafts. Are they going to replace those as well?.