2021 Ford F-150: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed Sep 2, 2026 · Acceleration · OK

On [XXX], I was driving westbound from Missouri into Oklahoma in my 2021 Ford F-150 XL. While traveling approximately 75 mph on the highway, I moved into the passing lane to overtake another vehicle. As I accelerated and applied additional throttle to pass, the transmission downshifted into passing gear. After completing the pass, the vehicle continued to accelerate on its own even after I released the accelerator pedal. The engine remained at a high throttle setting, and the truck increased speed to approximately 85 mph. At that time, I was not using cruise control, nor had I pressed the cruise control switch, which was involved in a previous acceleration-related incident I experienced with this vehicle. To regain control, I carefully created distance from surrounding traffic, applied the brakes, and maneuvered the vehicle onto the shoulder. After coming to a stop well off the roadway, I shifted the vehicle into Park and turned off the engine. I then restarted the truck, and the unintended acceleration condition was no longer present. Because of the incident, I did not attempt to use the cruise control system again during the trip, and I avoided using heavy throttle or passing gear out of concern that the condition could reoccur. The vehicle has since been inspected by a Ford dealership. As of this report, their evaluation has not identified the cause of the problem, and no fault has been found despite the incident occurring on the highway. This incident created a significant safety concern because the vehicle continued to accelerate after the accelerator pedal was released, resulting in an unexpected increase in speed and requiring me to pull off the highway and shut off the vehicle to regain normal operation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 29, 2026 · Transmission · TX

Component/system affected: Power train / automatic transmission. Description of safety issue: The transmission has recurring harsh and erratic shifting, most noticeable on the first drive of the day. Symptoms include slipping/flaring, delayed or failed upshifts, sudden harsh gear engagement, unexpected large gear changes, loss of power, and occasional operation as if stuck in 4th gear/limp mode. The issue has become severe enough that I have had to manually intervene and pull over. Specific safety incident: On or about June 24th, I was leaving my apartment complex and turning left onto a busy main street. As I approached and entered the turn, the truck was in 1st gear and I was pressing the accelerator, but the transmission appeared to struggle or delay shifting into the next gear. The vehicle did not respond normally, so I continued applying throttle to complete the turn. When the transmission finally shifted, it engaged extremely harshly and caused the truck to lurch forward unexpectedly into the intersection. I had to slam on the brakes to narrowly avoid colliding with another vehicle. This created a serious crash risk because the vehicle first had delayed/lost propulsion and then suddenly surged forward during a left turn across traffic. Safety risk: This defect can cause unexpected loss of motive power, delayed acceleration, harsh engagement, and sudden vehicle lurching while driving. This is especially dangerous when merging, turning across traffic, entering intersections, passing, or driving at highway speed. The problem occurs without a clear warning light or check-engine light, so the driver may not have advance warning before the transmission behaves unpredictably. I am reporting this because the 10R80 transmission behavior caused a near crash due to delayed acceleration followed by sudden harsh engagement/lurching into traffic, and because the failure appears consistent with a known valve body/CDF drum issue affecting Ford 10-speed transmissions.

Filed Jan 1, 2026 · Acceleration · TX

This report is being made within 1 1/2 hours after the incident. It has not been inspected by a dealer, service center, nor any other agency. I was stopped at a local fast food restaurant waiting to pay for my purchase. The 2021 Ford F-150 was in drive with my foot on the brake. No warning lights or other indication were present. Without warning, the engine revved to a high rpm and the truck shot forward about 15-20 feet before I could react by putting my full weight on the brake pedal. The engine quickly slowed. I then put the vehicle in reverse and backed up to the window and placed the transmission in park. The truck is equipped with adaptive cruise control but it was not active at the time of the incident. Had there been another vehicle in front of me, I would have rear-ended them. I work from home and use the truck a couple of times per week and it is available for inspection most days.

Filed Jul 8, 2025 · Transmission · 107,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal and attempting to make a right turn, the power train or 4WD warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was stuck in sixth gear; the contact was unsure of the high gear. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly shifted into a lower gear, skipped gears, and the vehicle surged forward. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the CDF cylinder had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and transferred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Filed Feb 25, 2024 · VA · crash

I stopped the vehicle in the street after turning wide to back in my driveway. The vehicle lunged forward like it was being pushed. It continued forward, up the curb, paused, then was pushed (moved forward) harder up the incline and into a pine tree. Significant Damage was to the front end. At no time did I accelerate. I was not in control of the car. It threw a message about parking assist on the dash. There were children on the street and I am glad it didn’t run into anyone. Yes you have my consent to check the vehicle data. I am going to file with ford as well. Even if car is fixed I’m afraid to drive it.

Filed Aug 11, 2023 · Transmission · 15,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after shifting from reverse(R) to drive(D), the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer to file a complaint. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed; however, the case was denied, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Sep 19, 2021 · OH

On September17. 2021, on my way to work my vehicle suddenly accelerated as I was merging into highway traffic in a construction zone. I repeatedly applied hard pressure to the brake pedal. Each time I released pressure, the vehicle surged ahead and immediately reached high speeds. After several attempts to regain control of my vehicle, I finally reached an exit point in the construction zone, pulled over and turned off the ignition. I removed the key from the ignition and after 60 seconds, reinserted it. The engine rpms idled normally when I restarted the vehicle and I proceeded to my destination. Returning home that afternoon and while driving through a different construction zone - my vehicle for the second time in one day unexpectedly accelerated and ran "wide-open" with the foot off the gas pedal and hard braking being applied. I shifted to neutral and was able to pull off the expressway. This time, I shut off the vehicle, but didn't remove the key from the ignition. When I restarted the engine 30 seconds later - the truck immediately surged forward at full rpms. I plan to have this vehicle towed from my residence to my dealership and have not driven it since September 17, 2021. I do not use the cruise control option provided on this vehicle.