NHTSA Complaint #11663841 — 2021 FORD F-150

Ford's 10 Speed Transmissions (10R80) built before 2022 have a common CDF Drum design defect that will cause hard shifts, gear searching, failure to shift, and lagging shifts. On two occasion my truck was unable to find the gear while shifting and lost acceleration. There was no indications (warning lights or messages) that the vehicle wasn't operating normally. It simply just was unable to move under its own power for 2-3 seconds before the transmission found the next gear and began accelerating. Both instances created a hazard for myself and others as other drivers were forced to take evasive actions due to the sudden onset of the issue. Both instances were while making an authorized but unprotected left-hand turn. Had the other drivers in each of these instances not taken evasive action I would have been T-boned by them. This common failure put both myself and other drivers at risk. My local Ford dealer has troubleshot the issue and stated they believe it is the CDF Drum and recommended a complete transmission replacement. This issue is so common, that Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin implementing a redesigned CDF Drum. That being said, Ford has left owners of pre-2022 vehicles like mine with an unsafe component and have taken no ownership of their design flaw.