Check a VIN

Ford F-250 SD harsh shifting problems

43 of the 6,554 owner complaints about the Ford F-250 SD describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2020 model year.

owner complaints
43
worst model year
2020
typical mileage
36,800
Is there a fix? There are 10 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2024
    1
  • 2023
    1
  • 2022
    1
  • 2021
    4
  • 2020
    16
  • 2019
    4
  • 2017
    4
  • 2016
    1
  • 2015
    1
  • 2011
    2
  • 2008
    1
  • 2005
    1
  • 2004
    3
  • 2003
    1
  • 2002
    1
  • 2000
    1

What owners say

Filed Aug 17, 2026 · Electrical, Steering · FL

I am filing a complaint against Capital Auto Mall Premier regarding the sale of a 2019 Ford F\-250 Lariat \(VIN [XXX]\) that I purchased on XXX. The vehicle was represented as being in good working condition at the time of sale. However, almost immediately after taking possession of the vehicle, I began discovering numerous mechanical, electrical, and safety\-related defects. Due to the number of concerns, I had the vehicle independently inspected shortly after purchase. The inspection identified multiple significant issues, including transmission hard shifting, transfer case clunking during shifting, battery failure requiring replacement, steering and suspension concerns, excessive play in front suspension components, and numerous diagnostic trouble codes stored in the vehicle's systems. In addition to these findings, I discovered issues involving vehicle lighting, winch operation, and other features and equipment that were not functioning properly despite being expected to be operational at the time of sale. These issues became apparent within days of purchasing the vehicle. The quantity and severity of the defects lead me to believe that the vehicle was not in the condition represented during the sale and that material defects may not have been properly disclosed before the transaction occurred. As a result of these issues, I have incurred costs associated with inspections and diagnostics and am obtaining additional repair estimates to determine the full cost of necessary repairs. The defects significantly impact the vehicle's safety, reliability, usability, and value. I have supporting documentation, including the purchase agreement, financing documents, independent inspection reports, diagnostic findings, photographs, repair estimates, and records of communications regarding the vehicle. This documentation demonstrates that the concerns were identified almost immediately after purchase and were not the result of normal wear occurring INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Transmission · TN

10r140 paired with 6.7 powerstroke in a 2020 f250 build date 11/19 at the Kentucky plant. My truck specs and build date and location is in the timeframe of the planetary gear recall, ford has also issued tsb’s about the cdf bushing that should have been a recall because it is a design flaw on every 2020-2022 model truck. It’s not fair that we should have to pay for a tsb bc we don’t have warranty left. My truck has 84,000 miles but is out of the 5 years warranty period. Symptoms I am having with my transmission are: Harsh engaging to drive and reverse Flair shifts bad sometimes almost like it goes into neutral between changing gears Has shifted from 4th to 1st instead of 4th to 5th or 6th, then it started shifting normal right after. Had my factory 3250rpm limiter not been moved to 4500rpm the truck would have locked the rear wheels up and possible caused driveline damage or other damaged. Also had a car been behind me when this happened I would have been in a wreck because it slammed to a low speed and the car would have rear ended me. Slips in 4th and 7th gear the most but sometimes in other gears Bumps when it shifts a lot of the gears Sometimes shudders and shakes and will almost make like a pop noise Will clunk on downshift from 5-3 Sometimes clunks when upshifting 3-5 I have had the truck looked at by an independent diesel mechanic I use and he said there is a problem somewhere in the transmission, it’s either planetary gear or cdf bushing has moved or the drum itself has cracked. The component itself has not been inspected because the only was to inspect this is to tear the transmission down. The pan has been dropped and had a lot of metal material on the magnet. No codes on the dash but my mechanic said I had dtcs stored for the transmission. I have created a case claim with Ford trying to see if they will extend the recall for the known issue but I have had zero luck with them. I have videos of the issues but can’t upload them on here.

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Transmission · NE

This is a follow-up to my original complaint #XXX, filed XXX, regarding the failure of the 10R140 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty (VIN: [XXX]). The transmission began exhibiting symptoms of gear slipping, jerking, delayed and harsh shifting, and pinging from the torque converter around 100,000 miles. These symptoms progressively worsened until the transmission suffered a catastrophic internal failure. As documented in the attached Sid Dillon Ford repair order, an authorized Ford dealer found metal contamination in the transmission fluid and confirmed that a complete transmission replacement was required. The attached Friesen Ford repair order also shows that harsh engagements were present and that a transmission flush failed to resolve the issue. I have also attached a sworn statement from [XXX], an independent automotive technician who has serviced vehicles for my family for several years. In his sworn statement, he confirms that these 10R140 transmissions have known serious ongoing issues and that many mechanics avoid working on them due to these problems. Ford Motor Company was provided with the above repair records and the sworn statement but has denied any responsibility or reimbursement for the transmission failure. The failure created a serious safety risk due to the sudden loss of propulsion while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 3, 2026 · Steering · MS

I bought this truck and its got 50000 miles on it and it has a clunking noise c coming from the steering shaft took it to ford to have trailer module recall fixed and had them inspect the noise and they said the whole steering shaft needs replaced and I have co workers with f250s and they have the same noise... something comes apart in steering shaft could cause a wreck and even death... dealer said its a common issue in the f250s they replace the whole shaft to fix the issue!

Filed Nov 30, 2025 · Transmission · NE

My 2021 Ford F-250 equipped with the 10R140 10-speed transmission suffered a sudden internal failure around ~100,000 miles. The failure symptoms and internal damage match the defect Ford acknowledged in Safety Recall 22V‑256, which applies to the 2020 F-250/F-350 trucks using the same 10R140 transmission. Despite identical symptoms and the same transmission design, my VIN [XXX] ) was excluded from the recall. the federal safety agency’s VIN decoder also returned an “ambiguous model year” notice, suggesting this vehicle may have been built during the transition period where Ford continued using the same defective 10R140 components. Symptoms experienced prior to failure included harsh shifting, delayed engagement, gear slipping, and eventual loss of drive. A transmission shop stated they “won’t touch these transmissions” due to known issues. The failure created a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power while driving. This appears to be a recall scope error. Early 2021 units like mine are experiencing the same 10R140 internal failures as the recalled 2020 population. I request the federal safety agency investigate whether Ford under-reported the affected VIN range and whether the recall should be expanded to include early-2021 F-250 trucks. 10R140 transmission failure on a 2021 Ford F-250. Identical to the failure described in 2020 Recall 22V‑256. Early 2021 VIN, suspected recall scope error. approximately sometime in January 2025 not exact date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 10, 2025 · Transmission · TX

The transmission would hang up in 7th gear when stopping at red light, caution light or stop signs without warning. It would roll like normal when letting of brakes however when out in the middle of traffic stop signs or caution lights the truck would not move and would not shift as it was hung in 7th gear. The only way to get the truck back in 1st gear was to place the truck in park and turn the ignition off then restart the vehicle. This has happened 3 different times post bringing the truck to silsbee ford for a ecm and tcm reprogram. Originally called dealer back to reports extreme rough shifting and was told they did not mess with anything in the transmission and it was not due to anything they did, never received a call back from manager. No warning lights messages ever appeared to show the transmission had failed to down shift into first gear at the stop lights. All three of these events happened while my 7 year old child was in the truck and two of the times it was a near miss and narrowly avoided accidents. Prior to this since around 50,000 miles truck would shift rough with rough engagement into 3,4th,5th,6th, gears with frequent flare shifts and was told by dealers this was normal characteristic of the transmission.

Filed Sep 16, 2025 · Transmission · AL

Known issue identified with this particular make, model and year truck in 2021; rough shifting, wrench light illuminating, failure to shift gears appropriately, stuck in certain gears risk of stalling, stopping, unable to shift down appropriately inspected by dealer and mechanics Ford document shows planetary needle bearing inside ring gear assembly generates contamination back in 2021/2022; unable to confirm fix was performed on this vehicle

Filed Jul 7, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · TX

I purchased my new 2024 Ford F250 on [XXX] with less than 30 miles on the odometer. It includes a 10-speed automatic transmission. I have noticed erratic up shifting and down shifting of the transmission. The problem started at approximately 700 miles on the vehicle. Additionally I have noticed that after initial starting the vehicle, when placed into drive or reverse, the transmission appears to slam into gear as noticed by a large jerk and loud sound. The vehicle continues to sound like there is a mismatch between the engine revving up and transmission lagging behind for some time, or as if the transmission is slipping gears. The new vehicle was taken into the dealership on 6/9/2025 at 7:00AM and work was reportedly completed and vehicle ready for pickup on [XXX]. I was informed that the service technician performed a break-in procedure and that everything was okay. Within 30 minutes of picking up the vehicle the same problem started reoccurring. I called my service advisor (Michael Garcia) the follow day, [XXX] to report the same issue. I spoke with the service agent and was not able to get a loaner vehicle until 6/28/2025. At this point the vehicle has less that 3,000 miles on it. I dropped off the vehicle at 7:00 AM on the 24th for repair. Today is the 7th of July, 2025, and I am still waiting for the dealership to give me the status. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 28, 2025 · Transmission · CO

When shifting into drive the truck will lurch forward, a very hard shift. It also does the same thing in reverse. Several times the if my foot was not pressing very hard on the brake when shifting into drive or reverse the truck would lurch forward several feet. It there was an obstruction or person in front of the truck it would have put them at risk of being hit. While driving on cruise control it is very slow to shift and will skip multiple gears when shifting down when going up a hill. Sometimes also going downhill. This can cause the truck to slow down rapidly without a brake indicator which could cause a rear end collision if there is someone following closely. The truck is only 4.5yrs old and has 60,597miles. Symptoms started about 3-4months earlier when truck was well under 60,000 miles however I was unable to get it to the dealer until 60,597 which puts the truck out of warranty. The dealer was able to reproduce the issues and performed a code reset as well as a reprogram and the issue was not resolved. Dealer tore down the transmission and said one of the clutch packs in the transmission has failed along with several other parts. It is now requiring a full rebuild or replacement. There were no warning lights, alarms or messages. Date below is approximately when symptoms started occurring. I do not yet have my vehicle back so do not have the full report from the dealer. I will submit when I receive my vehicle back.

Filed Apr 4, 2025 · Transmission · MT

Driving the vehicle and the transmission jerks really hard shifts from 6th gear to 1st gear. This happened while I was driving it. It loses power and won't go the check manual wrench pops up and then the check engine light comes in. I was doing 50mph when this happened for the second time. First time I was doing 45mph. The dealership I had gotten it from worked on the truck and replaced the computer and it still popped up the same code. Hadn't had the truck 3 weeks when the first incident happened. Then they had it for 3monhs and got it back saying it was fixed and it done it again on my way home from work. The transmission jumps gears while driving without warning or anything. Put my life and others in harm.

Related recalls

Power train: axle assembly: axle shaftReported March 3, 2026 · 11,431 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026-2025 F-250 SD and F-350 SD vehicles. The driveshaft friction weld may fail, resulting in rear driveshaft separation and a sudden loss of drive power.
Risk
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the driveshaft serial number and replace the driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 6, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S13. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 4, 2026.

Recall number 26V119000 · Recall details

Power train: axle assembly: axle shaftReported December 12, 2025 · 6,819 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Super Duty F-250 and F-350 vehicles. The right rear axle shaft may have been improperly heat-treated during manufacturing and may break.
Risk
A broken rear axle shaft can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the right rear axle shaft date code and replace the axle shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on December 15, 2025.

Recall number 25V866000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)Reported March 14, 2025 · 11,621 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 vehicles. The steering column shifter may have been improperly welded and detach from the steering column.
Risk
A detached shifter will prevent the driver from shifting into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the steering column serial numbers and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S20.

Recall number 25V163000 · Recall details

Power train: axle assembly: axle shaftReported August 25, 2023 · 41,555 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Super Duty F250 and F350 vehicles equipped with single rear wheels and a 10.5-inch rear axle shaft. The left rear axle shaft may have been improperly heat-treated during manufacturing and may break.
Risk
A broken rear axle shaft can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the left rear axle shaft date code and replace the axle shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S49.

Recall number 23V595000 · Recall details

Power train: driveline: driveshaftReported November 29, 2022 · 18,808 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 4x4 vehicles. A radial damper inside the driveshaft may move out of position over time, which can cause a driveshaft imbalance and result in a fracture.
Risk
A fractured driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power. Additionally, a vehicle rollaway could occur while parked if the parking brake is not engaged. Either of these scenarios increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S74.

Recall number 22V880000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported April 14, 2022 · 23,165 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. A washer within the vehicle's transmission can disintegrate, causing metallic debris to become lodged in the 'Park' mechanism.
Risk
Debris lodged within the 'Park' mechanism may prevent the vehicle from achieving or holding 'Park,' increasing the risk of a vehicle rollaway and a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace a gearset within the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 19, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S22.

Recall number 22V256000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: torque converterReported June 23, 2020 · 13 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super-Duty F-250, F-350, and F-550 diesel pickups. The transmission torque converter damper plate was not tempered, resulting in a brittle damper plate that may fracture and cause the engine to stall or require increased brake pedal effort in order to stop the vehicle.
Risk
An engine stall or requiring additional braking effort to stop the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission assembly, free of charge. This recall began July 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S33.

Recall number 20V365000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported November 14, 2018 · 4 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty and F-450 Super Duty vehicles. An incorrect transmission case casting may cause the park pawl assembly to not be secured, possibly resulting in unintended vehicle movement.
Risk
Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners and dealers will inspect the transmission case, replacing the transmission as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S36.

Recall number 18V802000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported March 31, 2017 · 48,443 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty trucks equipped with 6.2L engines and six-speed automatic transmissions. These transmissions may have a damaged park rod actuating plate that can result in unexpected vehicle movement even though the transmission has been shifted to 'Park.' As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence/Starter Interlock/Transmission Braking Effect", and number 114, "Theft Protection."
Risk
Unexpected vehicle movement such as a vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the park rod actuating plate and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C06.

Recall number 17V225000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)Reported April 17, 2014 · 3,973 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks manufactured September 13, 2013, through March 28, 2014, and equipped with 6.2L gasoline or 6.7L diesel engines and 6R140 transmissions. An error with the transmission control software may be such that while shifting from "Park" to "Drive" the vehicle may display "Drive" but possibly engage "Reverse" for 1.5 seconds before engaging "Drive." Therefore, the vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect."
Risk
If the vehicle is in "Reverse" while the while the gear selection shows "Drive," unexpected movement could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the transmission software, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2014. Owners may contact Fords customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C04.

Recall number 14V204000 · Recall details

Questions about the Ford F-250 SD harsh shifting

Which Ford F-250 SD years have harsh or hard shifting problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2020 (16 complaints), 2017 (4 complaints) and 2019 (4 complaints).

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used Ford F-250 SD?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history