2018 FORD F-150 Power Train Problems

Transmission started shifting very erratically, skipping, and hanging in gears. The rear end would lock up and the tires would screech. On the highway, during downshifts, the vehicle would hang and shift hard, jerking the vehicle in heavy traffic. Could not maintain safe speeds.

My truck only has 61,000 miles and it started skipping gears and down shifting suddenly and I loose power and it stalls out in intersections. When it shifts it goes into neutral and my motor races making it extremely dangerous on the highway. I had a transmission tuneup done for $500 but it didn’t help. It got worse over a weeks time and I took it back to the mechanic because a wrench came up on my dashboard. He ran a check and 4th gear was shot. So now I need a new transmission. 2014 f150 had a recall. Several people I know with the same year as mine 2018 have the same problem.

Transmission will either get stuck in a gear and won't accelerate or will shift down on its own and cause the car to jump and buck.

Reporting this because I'd like to add to the several other claims on this transmission. 80,000miles and transmission all the sudden started stalling out of first and between 3rd and 4th gear. No accidents, but nearly got rear ended several times after I pulled out in traffic and it stalled between gears. A couple of weeks later the transmission started downshifting from 9th and 10th gear all the way to first gear. Again, luckily no accidents, but it could have been very bad. Took truck into Ford dealer service center. They inspected and said the transmission was "trashed" inside and would need to be replaced. It only has 80,000 miles!!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH and while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the right side of the roadway and turned off, and then restarted the vehicle but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The “WRENCH” symbol was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

The Cam Phase Shifters and timing chain have failed with only 83k miles resulting in a $7,500 repair. This is unacceptable. I would completely understand if it had 250k miles but this is a baby as far as mileage. Looking at f-150 forums this appears to be a common problem and ford has actually changed the design of the cam phase shifters so they know they are defective. Request you loook into this issue please.

I bought the truck new in 2018. In 2020, the transmission was rebuilt twice, and then a new one was installed. The automatic 10-speed transmission changes gears roughly and now I'm having the same problem with the transmission just abruptly switching gears up and down. It's a serious concern for me when I am cruising at 70 mph on I-95, and all of a sudden, the gears start randomly shifting, dropping to 3rd gear from 10th and then up to 7th, and then repeatedly shifting gears up and down.

While driving my truck mostly when raining but not always the wrench light will come on and the truck will lose all power and not shift. I then shut my truck off left it set for about 15 minutes and when i start it back up everything will be fine light would be off run's fine for about 1 to 2 months or if it rains again then it will do the same thing again.

2018 FORD F-150 LARIAT TRUCK 10 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS A FAILURE. 81K MILES AND IT SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF GEARS, HARD SHIFTING, POTENTIAL TO LOSE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY. FORD SAYS IT'S COMMON AND HAS NO RECALL OR ASSISTANCE. TRANSMISSIONS FROM FORD ARE SAID TO LAST AT LEAST 150K MILES.

My Ford F150 truck with 63,000 miles began jerking, almost stalling, missing gears on approximately 8/7/2025. I thought perhaps I purchased bad gas but just got worse in next week until the wrench icon appeared. Took it to dealership immediately after wrench icon appeared. It may have caused injury had the truck stalled and caused a crash! Long story short, $6300 later we had the transmission replaced. We are elderly and on a fixed income, huge expense for us. While having vehicle repaired I read about Ford knowingly selling cars with bad transmissions, there are class action suits because it has happened to too many people to count. Not only that but often occurs very close to the warranty of 60,000 miles, unconscionable. Ford is not acting in good faith, this issue is on them and no the consumer.

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost. It started having idling issues that eventually required the cam phasers to be replaced. While that was frustrating and costly enough, the bigger issue came with the 10R80 transmission. Despite performing all services on schedule and maintaining the truck properly, the transmission failed. After doing research, I found that this isn’t an isolated incident. On Ford forums and owner groups, it’s clear that the 10R80 transmission has been a widespread, ongoing issue for years. Thousands of Ford owners have been forced to spend thousands of dollars to repair or replace these transmissions—something that Ford should have addressed long ago with a proper fix or recall. It’s disappointing that a company with Ford’s reputation hasn’t taken accountability for a known defect that affects so many loyal customers. Something should be done to make this right for owners who trusted Ford to...

F150 had a sudden complete transmission failure on the highway, rendering it unable to move. I was lucky to make it off the road safely. 10r80 transmission has known defects. $11,000 to repair.

the 10r80 transmission still jerks when putting in drive or reverse as well as hard shifting causing the vehicle to shake and not grab a gear. No smooth shifting.

While attempting to pass another vehicle from middle lane to passing lane, I stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle shuddered, slowed down (gear wouldn't catch). I manually downshifted to gain acceleration and avoid being rear ended by an 18-wheeler! I successfully maneuvered around and back into the middle lane but the vehicle was (and still is) having problems changing gears. It is an extremely unsafe to drive this vehicle.

The transmission is hard shifting and staying in 6th gear most of the time. And when I pulled into my driveway the transmission was shifting back down to first and rolling backwards before shifting back to 6th gear allowing me to make a couple feet of forward progress at a time...

NHTSA Safety Complaint Draft Vehicle Information: Make: Ford Model: F-150 Year: 2018 VIN: [XXX] Incident Summary: While driving my 2018 Ford F-150, the vehicle suddenly displayed a warning on the dashboard: “Steering Assist Fault – Service Required.” Within moments of this warning, I lost all power steering assist and was unable to control the vehicle, resulting in the truck veering off the road and into a ditch. This was a sudden and dangerous failure of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. I was fortunate not to have been injured, and no other vehicles were involved. However, this type of failure represents a major safety risk to me and to others on the road. I contacted Ford Motor Company and was assigned Case Number: [XXX]. Despite reporting the issue and explaining that the vehicle ran off the road, Ford refused to offer any assistance or goodwill repair. I was told the...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted to neutral(N) unintendedly, and the vehicle lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. No further information was available. Additionally, the contact stated that electronic system and lights failed to turn off. The contact confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall and that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that there were complaints and lawsuits related to the failure. The contact stated that the body control module (BCM) was previously repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 84,019.

10r80 Automatic transmission. Randomly hunts for gears, often suddenly switches to Neutral before slamming into gear, sometimes loses gears on the highway, after a stoplight/sign or in the middle of intersections leading to a temporarily stalled vehicle in high traffic areas. Transmission behavior is unpredictable and inefficient. When brought to Ford for an oil and transmission fluid change; the vehicle threw a code, after diagnostic, they state that the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of over 9000 USD. Vehicle information states that the transmission is supposed to be good for 150000 miles. New vehicle warranty is 5 years OR 50000 miles. There's a massive discrepancy between those numbers. My vehicle started showing symptoms at 60000 miles and full blown issues at 100000. There are no vehicle warnings other than when the dealer was testing post transmission fluid change a "wrench" light came on. Now the vehicle cannot...

Component/System That Failed: The 10R80 automatic transmission in my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost has become essentially undrivable at 89,900 miles. The transmission will attempt to upshift from 1st gear through each gear unsuccessfully until it reaches 6th gear, at which point it refuses to downshift. The only way to exit 6th gear is by taking the vehicle completely out of drive. This transmission is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This failure creates a major safety hazard. The inability to accelerate properly from a stop or to downshift while slowing down means the truck cannot respond to normal traffic conditions or emergency situations. This puts me, my passengers, and others at risk—especially when entering traffic, making turns, or attempting to stop. The erratic behavior also causes the vehicle to lurch or hesitate, increasing the chance of a rear-end collision or loss of control. Has the Problem Been Reproduced...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the gear shifter shifted independently, and the message "Vehicle Heisted Gear Ten Error" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA to file a vehicle safety complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 52,742.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and the transmission shifted to neutral, nearly causing a crash. The contact stated while driving downhill at 5 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 40 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

While driving on the interstate with the cruise control set at 70mph the vehicle's transmission, while climbing a small hill, started slipping badly. There was a loud klunking sound and an immediate substantial increase in rpms. As a result I immediately slowed the vehicle down to around 60mph. Additionally I moved over into the slow lane. The yellow wrench light activated on my dashboard indicating a power train issue. The transmission continued having slipping issues while driving it home. I took it to my local Ford dealership and they informed me the the ten speed transmission was failing, and needed to be rebuilt. The truck only has 75,000 miles on it. I've read that Ford has had a lot of issues with these 10 speed transmissions, especially in the early years like my 2018 F150, and that a recall hasn't been issued. I feel as though an incident such as...

Gear 7 Ratio Incorrect P076F Transmission doesn’t engage like it should.

While driving to Sam’s Club (approximately 20 miles from home), my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost began running very rough, and the check engine light came on. I had the vehicle scanned, and diagnostics confirmed that the cam phasers are failing — the exact issue I had replaced under warranty at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle now has just 88,000 miles, and this failure occurred in under 30,000 miles since the original repair. I have maintained this truck with extreme care. I only use Motorcraft parts and fluids, change the oil every 3,000 miles or sooner, and always use premium fuel. This is not a maintenance issue. This is a design or part failure that Ford has not properly resolved. When the phasers were replaced the first time, I was told there was no warranty on the replacement parts. That is unacceptable. A known failure being replaced with an equally...

The transmission randomly drops out of gear while driving. Most cases its a 2-3 shift or 3-4 shift. But its almost caused me to be rear ended twice. Its random and shifts normal most of the time. After doing research on the 10r80 I've seen muiltiple complaints on the issue. Its a valve body defect or design flaw. Also other issues leading up to this problem lots have had happen. But its a safety concern when your truck randomly drops gear and you loose control of your truck moving forward. I had the transmission serviced when bought the truck and since went as far as having it done again with best fluids and filters avalable. Nothing makes it better or worse. I like the truck and just disapointed in ford for not doing a recall or updates to address these 10 speed problems. I was having troubles around 70k and...

2018 F150 Transmission failure at 70,000 miles. Clutch packs for 3rd/4th gear have failed. This is a known common issue with this particular Ford transmission for their trucks and SUV's since 2017. Vehicle was under warranty when issues arose. Local dealers could not get the vehicle in for diagnosis and repair evaluation due to the volume of other vehicles having the same transmission diagnosis. By the time one of the local Ford dealers were able to assess the issue, warranty had expired. Ford knows this is an issue due to a longstanding TSB issued to dealerships.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The contact stated that while driving with the transmission shifting from 9th gear to 10th gear, the transmission shifted to neutral, and the vehicle started to coast. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be reprogrammed, and the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage for the failure, but would attempt to assist with the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that several minutes later the vehicle functioned as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of Technical Service Bulletin: 21B10. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred afterwards. The contact stated that an abnormally loud sound was coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed with cam phaser failure. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 87,560.

At or around 85,000 miles, I noticed my vehicle hesitating going into 3rd or 4th gear. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle began hard shifting into that 3rd/4th gear. Occasionally, the vehicle would lunge forward unexpectantly during this gear shift change. There have been several warning lights (wrench icon) appear on the dash. Also, on several occasions, I have experienced a sudden loss of power when trying to accelerate the vehicle as in a passing situation or merging into traffic. Upon doing research on the internet, I discovered hundreds of reports of Ford truck owners experiencing the same problems that I am having. These complaints are from 2018-2023 Ford truck owners whose trucks have the 10 speed transmissions. These defective transmissions need to be recalled not only because they pose a safety concern with the sudden lunging forward but also with the loss of power that sometimes occurs. Many owners have taken...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound on first start up, upon shifting to drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal. A dealer mobile technician diagnosed the vehicle at the residence and informed the contact that the smart transmission was operating as designed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer advised the contact to not be concerned because the vehicle was still covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the 10-speed transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty, but the manufacturer had provided a loyalty discount. The vehicle was...

Complaint is regarding transmission issues on a 2018 Ford F150, 10-speed Transmission 10R80. Ford safety bulletins, recalls and transmission part replacements have failed to fix and resort transmission to a normal working condition. Transmission is now downshifting and delaying acceleration in the middle of the road. These unresolved issues with the 10R80 transmission are creating a hazardous situation for my family. Vehicle is unpredictably failing to accelerate at stop sign and red lights, preventing the flow of traffic. Vehicle is failing to accelerate in an appropriate and safe way while merging into the highway. Vehicle is downshifting unpredictably while in motion creating imminent danger to my children. The trade in and resale value are severely affected by the issues created by the 10-speed transmission. BBB Auto Line program case: FRD2511990. Complaint is in regard to Ford lack of substantial help in resolving known issues with the 10R80 transmission.

2018 Ford F150 XLT twin turbo 4wd. Since the day I bought it. Nothing but problems with lurching jerking at stops. Clunking when truck is on AND OFF. We have video of it. Pushing gas pedal and truck hesitates before it jumps forward always the transmission been to every ford dealer in our area they refuse to help or say they DONT HEAR the knocking or feel lurching all lies we have had at least 3 close calls avoiding accidents and 2 days ago the truck would not stop the transmission skipped and I hit a deer. My bull bar absorbed most of the impact. The 10 speed transmission is the issue and no one wants to hear it but ford wants $10,000 for a new transmission after I paid $48000 for this truck and it’s been in the shop half the time.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was shifting hard. The contact stated that while driving at highways speeds on a slight incline and upshifting to 10th gear, the transmission slipped. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while driving between third and fourth gears, and between fourth and fifth gears. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The contact stated that the gears were jumping. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 45 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 139,600.

The 10R80 10 speed transmission in this vehicle Down shifts at highway speeds into first gear locking up the rear tires and making this vehicle a hand full . The problems are well documented with this transmission. How many people will have to be hurt, permanently disabled or even killed before the NHTSafetyA does something about ALL of these transmissions ???

My 2018 F150 has a faulty transmission, started slipping and down shifting. These transmissions need to be recalled. In the shop now. These on going issues need to be addressed and resolved. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My truck has been having shifting problems. Hard shifting going into gear. It hesitates and I have zero power then slams into gear. Unsafe to drive. I have had it serviced and zero luck.

Transmission failed at 95k miles. This looks to be a very common issue with the 10R80 transmission as there is a class action suit

I purchase a 2018 Ford F150 on [XXX]. One week later I am experiencing truck not wanting to shift out of first gear. The shifting is hard and jerking. It jerk so hard that if my son and I didn’t have our seat belt on we would have hit the dash. It periodically will shift from the 9 gear to 1 then back to 4th & 5th gear. It’s I almost got slammed by the car behind me. It is scary I took it to a shop and a total transmission replacement needs to be done I reach out the dealership that told me before I purchased it, all used vehicles go through a thorough inspection. I trusted the dealership and purchased the truck. Under further investigation I contacted where the truck was serviced last and they did an oil consumption test because it is burning a lot of oil....

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?

I bought this truck new. It immediately began shifting hard. The dealer flashed the transmission several times, but did not solve the problem. The dealer even documented the harsh shifting, but after the reflash they said there is nothing else to be done, so I gave up. Now the shifting is worse and it will drop from 7th or 8th gear to 1st. Also, the transmission will intermittently not shift at all. This has done this to me twice while I was merging into traffic or making a left turn at an intersection leaving me motionless in traffic. Despite documentation from the beginning of ownership, the dealer nor ford will do anything despite the mechanic telling me this is a known issue that stems from fords design of the transmission. I am now paying for an all new transmission to keep safe. Ford is going to get people hurt by...

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.

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...

Long delay between shifts where the vehicle loses substantial speed

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 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 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)

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.

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.