Truck only has 48,124 miles on it. Per the tech it no longer has the weight on the driveshaft to keep it in balance. They sent the driveshaft to B&T driveshaft to be balanced. It came back and 80% of the vibration was gone. They then said they had to replace the entire driveshaft without testing the universal joints. They did install the JL3z*4r*z driveshaft kit. This did resolve the vibration but why would like part have to be replaced at such low milage on a 2018 F-150?
2018 Ford F-150 transmission complaints
Page 13 of 35: complaints 341 to 370 of 1,022, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Vehicle is shuddering as acceleration starts, took to dealership before warranty ended and they dismissed concerns. Issue has intermittently persisted since then with no resolution available from dealership. The acceleration issues causes the vehicle to slow down and halt before jerking into motion again. Additionally the engine eco boost is occasionally shutting the vehicle off in traffic, if the brake is released too quickly with the boost feature on the engine shuts off, you have to put it back in park and then start the engine again. I've almost been rear ended twice when a light turns green and my engine turns off unexpectedly.
Long delay between shifts where the vehicle loses substantial speed
I’m filing this complaint regarding a major transmission failure in my 2018 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX] ) with just over 40,000 miles. The issue resulted in multiple loss-of-drivability incidents while pulling out into traffic. On several occasions, the vehicle failed to engage or hesitated severely when shifting into gear, leaving me stranded on the wrong side of the road. In one instance, I was forced to manually cycle through gears to try and regain forward momentum while cars approached at speed. This created a dangerous situation not only for me but for other drivers. The vehicle showed no prior warning lights or messages before the issue occurred. A certified repair shop pulled diagnostic codes and identified a transmission-related fault. I was advised to take the truck to a Ford dealership, where they confirmed a transmission failure requiring a full replacement, quoted at nearly $10,000. A transmission failure at this mileage is unacceptable and unsafe. I’m reporting this as a safety concern due to the sudden loss of power and drive function in live traffic situations. I’ve since found reports of similar issues from other F-150 owners. This needs further investigation and consideration for recall or formal service campaign. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Transmission failed. Specifically the CDF drum which is a known issue and Ford has a TSB for it. Truck would not move or shift gears periodically. Would also slip into neutral and would not engage any gear which is extremely dangerous on the road. Dealer confirmed that the CDF drum is shot and the truck needs a new transmission, $8800. My truck only has 53k miles on it, it is a 2018 model year. There were no visual indications of a problem, no CEL. You could tell just by driving the truck, it got so bad that it was virtually undriveable. I put the TSB below. This really needs to be a RECALL as it is super dangerous. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle stalled. The "Auto Start Stop" message was displayed. The contact restarted the vehicle and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that one month prior to the failure, the vehicle had been repaired under Manufacturer Recall Number: 24E04 (Powertrain Control Module Software update). The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle stalled while one of the employees was test driving the vehicle. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
Transmission completely failed while driving. Fortunately I was at a stoplight and was able to coast to the side of the road to a stop before getting hit. Transmission previously was taken to Ford for transmission jerking and randomly shifting issues. They first appeared at about 35000 miles of service. Complete failure ocurred at 130,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Transmission is hard shifting and dropping out of gear into neutral at random times. Ford dealership diagnosed a bad CDF hub in transmission. Ford knows this is a known issue and redesigned the part but not covering any repairs.
I was driving on the interstate, and pressed the accelerator to make a lane change and the tranmission did not respond. I could have been rear-ended because I had signaled and the other vehicle started to fill my space. I was unable to make the change. Fortunately the folloing vehicle kept a safe disance. Gear shifts have also been extremely clunky and skipping gears, sometimes when slowing down, dropping from a high gear (4-6) down to 2 or 1 without a corresponding drop in speed.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the “WRENCH” symbol was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the message "Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic, where it was discovered that there were metal shavings in the transmission fluid pan. The contact had taken the vehicle to other independent mechanics who confirmed the failure and suggested that the transmission be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was then referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 99,800.
Hard shifting slamming gears needing transmission work.
Transmission: sluggish upshift (vehicle feels like it is being pulled backwards), hard shifting and sudden downshifts at speeds in excess of 35 mph. Narrowly avoided getting rear-ended during rush hour traffic. I have not taken the vehicle to the dealership due to being afraid to drive it. No warning lamps, but symptoms started about two weeks ago but were very intermittent and easily resolved with a TCM relearn. Symptoms are similar to the known issues with the Ford 10R80 CDF Drum issues. I will be having the vehicle towed to the service center next week for a diagnosis and way forward. On 18 June 2025, I was traveling home from work. I stopped at a red light and waited for the light to turn green. The light turns green and the line of cars (roughly 20, with the lead car approximately 5 ahead of me) begin to proceed through the light. As I passed through the intersection and began to pick up speed, my vehicle shifted into 6th gear at about 40 mph. Less than 2 seconds after shifting into 6th, it shifted down to 1st gear, lost all power to the drivetrain, and almost caused a collision between me and the car behind me in a busy residential area. Pressing the accelerator only revved the engine. I turned my hazards on and shifted the vehicle to Manual and was able to get it going again but the same symptoms happened at my next stop and have persisted since.
know 10 speed transmission failure, hard shifts lunging at red lights,load grinding noise. ford dealer diagnosis was need new transmission.
The transmission slips from 3 to 4 and 7 to 8. Downshifts hard. Truck has been doing for no reason for a couple of months. Sometimes it accelerates itself.truck has 78k miles and no hard driving or tow has been done.
While driving the vehicle it often shifts out of gear. It will hard shift change and not drive, which causes people behind you to have to unexpectedly stop or speed up on you because truck shifts out of gear. Very dangerous situation, and online people often complain about it
When accelerating, in gears 3-5, truck will intermittently jerk or hesitate. With transmission being erratic with acceleration, it difficult to steer when turning out of an intersection or corner or even changing lanes. This is a 10 speed transmission.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, stalled, and shifted out of gear independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change and transmission fluid flush. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission failed to shift correctly, causing the vehicle to jerk. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the CDF drum on the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal revving sound and other unknown sounds while the accelerator pedal was depressed. Additionally, the contact stated that the door and A/C and heating system actuator had failed. The contact stated that the rearview was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the turbo, the air compressor and the 4-Wheel Drive system needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the actuator was unrepairable and was rigged by the mechanic. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,003.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while at a four-way stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the engine revved up, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal was released, and the vehicle lunged forward, almost causing a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving at various speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. Additionally, while driving in high gear, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the transmission lead frame was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the transmission shifted hard, and the power train warning light illuminated. 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 contact was informed that parts for the repair were on back-order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving uphill with the cruise control activated, the transmission downshifted into first gear and the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the transmission shifted back into tenth gear. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the engine oil level was low. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not decided whether to pay for the repair. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The contact was referred by the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
Background: I’ve had my F150 for 7 years. For 6.x years though, the truck was operating with improper software in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) that managed the Emissions system’s control and monitoring. This is according to the Ford Recall Notice in Feb 2025 (2E14) stating the above. To address the Recall, a Ford technician came to my house, performed the software recall update, and immediately afterwards, my check engine light came on. Days later, back at the Ford dealer, they charged me a $200 diagnostic fee, and concluded my Catalytic Converter was bad and needed replacement. And the $2000 repair would be my responsibility since my mileage was (now) over the Emissions Warranty limit. My question to them was: “when did the Catalytic Converter fail”? Dealer answer: Not sure. The old/incorrect software couldn’t detect when it went bad. My comment: So the Converter may have failed in year 1 ,2, 3, 4 or 5 (still in warranty term) and just not flagged it back then? Dealer Answer: It’s possible, no way to know for sure. Point is: There’s a good chance the part actually ‘failed’ during the warranty period. How can Ford logically assign responsibility to me when the software was ‘incorrect’ for 6 years?? I DON'T LIKE DRIVING A TRUCK THAT'S POLLUTING MORE due to a failed Catalytic Converter, but the dealer wasn’t able to explain why it failed AFTER the warranty period. I feel that Ford should replace the Converter at their cost since the point of failure was most likely during warranty, but never triggered due to the defective/recalled software that the Truck had for it's entire life. There are online people saying similar. Got the recall done, then was told they needed a $2000 repair to the Converter. I suppose many will just continue to drive with the non functioning catalytic converter.
Transmission slips and goes into neutral while in heavy traffic. Ford says the cdf drum is bad and will need the updated one installed in the transmission along with a full rebuild and will not be covered under any recall or tsb.
When driving my vehicle it would keep slipping out of gear and sometimes just stopping forward motion. Scaring the heck out of myself and my wife. I never knew when this might happen so I took it in and it was diagnosed and was told that it was jumping out of 2nd and 4th gear I believe. This vehicle only had approximately 45000miles onit. They told me I had two choices replace with rebuilt transmission or a new one I chose the new one . 8000. That was a shock considering I believe these should had covered it considering the mileage on it . Anyway that’s my complaint. Thank you
Transmission started shuttering, driving jerky, and wouldn’t progress through the gears correctly. This was the third occurrence, the first two happened on the highway, this time was on a back road.
The transmission shifts from 10th gear to 1st when I’m going 70mph. Then it leaves me with no throttle control. If I get to 7th gear and approach a stop sign, it will stay in 7th gear and I can’t accelerate until it shifts down to 4th, to 1st, then back up to 3rd. It’s extremely dangerous, I can’t drive like it’s a normal car
Transmission starting to slip in 7th and 8th Gear when attempting to accelerate or hauling a load. I had this issue repaired once before where I was informed by the ford Transmission tech that this was so common that he had the parts list in the top of his toolbox. I am not the only F150 owner to experience this issue. There were no warning lamps. I have not returned to the dealership this time but am available if needed. This could cause loss of life, when I tried to pass another vehicle i was almost involved in a head on collision since the truck started slipping as i was trying to accelerate around and almost didnt make it in time. Thank you for your time.
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