The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle lurched forward, and the brake pedal was depressed with more force for the vehicle to respond as intended. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted hard and downshifted with reduced power. The Forward Collision Avoidance alarm sounded after the vehicle downshifted. The contact pulled over to the side of the road before continuing to drive. Additionally, the vehicle rolled backwards while in park(P). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 20V365000 (Power Train) and 22V256000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The dealer reported the failure to the manufacturer, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Ford F-350 SD jerking problems
56 of the 3,652 owner complaints about the Ford F-350 SD describe jerking or lurching, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 56
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical mileage
- 37,682
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 8Loss of power 5Hesitation 5Check engine light 5Power steering loss 4Engine failure 4Transmission failure 2Tire blowout 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P228F 1P054F 1P0087 1
What owners say
Failed Component & Availability for Inspection: The Bosch CP4 high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failed internally, shedding metallic debris throughout the entire fuel system. This matches the exact defect in the federal safety agency Recall 24V‑957 and Ford Safety Recalls 24S78 and 26S17. The failing CP4 pump and eight injectors were replaced on 03/14/2026 (Eastpointe Invoice #5997) due to contamination. The truck is located at Bob Maxey Ford in Detroit, MI, and is available for inspection alongside work orders from an authorized Ford dealership and two independent facilities. Safety Risk: The failure caused an abrupt, total loss of motive power on an active highway off-ramp, followed by an immediate no-start stall. Coasting without motive power across traffic lanes created an imminent collision hazard before the truck was towed by Troy’s Towing on 06/05/2026 (Invoice #34647). Problem Confirmation: •03/14/2026: Eastpointe replaced the failed CP4 pump and eight injectors (Inv #5997). •04/07/2026: Bill Brown Ford pulled DTC P228F, found debris on the regulator screen, and advised full fuel system replacement (RO #80302). •04/29/2026: Eastpointe confirmed metal contamination upon teardown (Inv #6342). •05/14/2026: Diesel’s Place found metal shavings on the regulator valve (Inv #2118). •Current: Bob Maxey Ford scanned DTC P0087 but reported no debris, contradicting prior documentation. Inspections: Bill Brown Ford inspected the vehicle on 04/07/2026 and documented debris. Bob Maxey Ford retrieved DTC P0087—a qualifying code for full fuel system replacement under Ford Recall 26S17—yet Ford Corporate denied coverage based on their claim of no metal shavings. Warning Signs & Timeline: In March 2026, the Check Engine Light illuminated with severe engine jerking (pump/injectors replaced 03/14). Bill Brown Ford confirmed DTC P228F and screen debris on 04/07. Metal shavings were reconfirmed on 05/14, leading to a highway stall/no-start on 06/05 and a stored DTC P0087 at Bob Maxey.
Vehicle will lurch on cold start up. This occurs while in park on a level surface.
Truck started jerking and shifting hard when driving. Contacted ford and they said that they needed to do a software update. Did the software update and it got extremely worse not wanting to shift into gear. Take the truck to ford in November to have fixed said I needed a new tranny. My extended warranty approves a used one they put it in same thing happening. Send that one back and put another one in same issue with that tranny. It is now March and they cant find another used tranny to fix my truck. After reading many things online it comes down to the CDF drum the bushing/sleeve moves inside the drum. Ford is aware of this issue and has upgraded/revised a drum. Why is this not a recall issue?
The 10 speed transmission is this truck shifts horribly. It will stall in intersections as it works its way thru 3 or 4 gears shifting away while refusing to move faster than a crawl. It has occasionally jerked harshly into 2nd gear at ONE(1) mile per hour. When you are coasting towards a traffic light it will jerk violently downshifting from 4th to 3rd. That downshift feels like the rear brakes are dragging. All of these behaviors occur at any point in city driving, making it risky to make a left turn in traffic and making passengers uncomfortable when riding, at any time they can be jerked any which way while riding in the truck. To make matters worse, the traffic warning lights on the mirrors will lite and alert occasionally when there is no traffic anywhere near the truck. This has happened on remote roads where there are no other vehicles, plants, shrubs or signs anywhere near the roadway. This truck is uncomfortable to drive and feels unsafe. I believe it is all related to the poorly made and engineered transmission.
Transmission jerking hard down shift cause stalling Did update less then 100k miles on truck and now back doing it again
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and lurched forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related to the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,951. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that an unknown part inside the transmission was defective, and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained in the dealer's possession and had yet to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle drove at a reduced speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that metal shavings were found in the fuel filter. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission before the vehicle jerked while shifting from park(P) to drive(D). No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the transmission hesitated to shift briefly before accelerating and then functioned normally. The failure became regular. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 3 times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Related recalls
Power train: axle assembly: axle shaft
- 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 shaft
- 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)
- 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 shaft
- 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: driveshaft
- 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 transmission
- 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: axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks equipped with 6.7L diesel engines and Dana model 275 rear axles. The rear axle housing may not support the load of the pickup truck and deform, which could result in driveshaft separation.
- Risk
- Driveshaft separation may result in a loss of drive power, or unintended vehicle movement if the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the axle housing for deformities, and repair or replace the housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall 21S31.
Recall number 21V536000 · Recall details
Power train: axle hubs
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels and front wheel hub extenders. The front wheel hub extenders may be improperly attached to the front rotor hub assemblies, which could result in separation of the wheels and wheel extenders from the vehicle.
- Risk
- A detached wheel and wheel extender can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are instructed not to drive their vehicles until the torque of the wheel extender nuts can be verified. Dealers will inspect and tighten the front wheel hub extender nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S26.
Recall number 21V390000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
- 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 transmission
- 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
Questions about the Ford F-350 SD jerking
Which Ford F-350 SD years have jerking or lurching problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (9 complaints), 2019 (7 complaints) and 2001 (5 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Ford F-350 SD?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history