2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid Owner Complaints

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a recurring, hazardous transmission failure during highway and incline driving (specifically experienced on mountain highway passes in Arkansas). While driving at highway speeds on uphill inclines, the transmission severely hesitates and struggles to downshift under load. When it finally engages, it violently slams into gear. During these episodes, the truck experiences a sudden loss of motive power and acceleration lag, accompanied by an engine RPM flare of over 400+ RPM. And most recently, I have Live diagnostic data captured during operation revealed a downshift delay of over 3 seconds where the powertrain control module commanded 8th gear, but the transmission physically remained stuck in 10th gear due to severe internal hydraulic pressure loss. This defect presents a severe safety risk on high-speed roadways. Sudden, unexpected loss of power while climbing grades or merging into traffic creates an immediate risk of rear-end collisions from surrounding vehicles. This issue directly correlates with Ford Technical Service Bulletin TSB 26-2287, which identifies axial movement/slippage of the CDF clutch cylinder sleeve as the root cause of internal fluid leaks and gear failure. Because this internal hardware failure causes unpredictable power delivery and driveability loss at highway speeds, I request that the NHTSA investigate the 10R80/10R80-MHT transmission CDF drum sleeve defect as a critical safety hazard. Finally, Ford motor company, and most cases refuses to repair this known defect under warranty, many owners are experiencing this dealership pushback leaving them with a critical safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11754598

Incident

May 30, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly shifts hard/lags on gears 3-5 and sometime higher gears 7-9 at higher speeds. I’ve also noticed a buzzing/metallic rattling coming near the engine from inside. There is also times i can tell i have no power when trying to speed up and the other day i almost thought i was going to get T-Boned. This occurred while on my daily traffic commute to work, creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed.

NHTSA ID

11754321

Incident

Jul 29, 2026

Ive noticed that the electric motor sometimes doesnt want to disengage quickly when I step on the brakes. In this incident I had to make a hard brake because someone pulled out in front of me. I had the cruise control on. When I slammed on the brakes the vehicle did not stop fast the vehicle felt as if it was still being pushed by something. Then a small jolt was felt and then the vehicle finally slowed. Had I been going faster or had the car that pulled been closer. This fault would have resulted in an incident

NHTSA ID

11754246

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly has lost propulsion and RPMs flare while driving steadily uphill. This occurred while merging onto a fast moving highway and while traveling at a steady speed going uphill, creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed.

NHTSA ID

11754238

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

I'm reporting a transmission problem on my 2021 Ford F-150 with the 10R80 automatic transmission that I believe is a safety issue, not just a reliability one. The truck currently has about 55,000 miles on it. Right now the truck shifts hard and jerks every time I drive it, and it's especially bad at low speed. The worst situation is creeping through a parking lot looking for a spot, the transmission drops down into first with a clunk and a jerk, and then kicks again when it shifts back up out of first. It's rough enough that I've taken to putting the truck in "Eco" drive mode on purpose, because that softens the shift profile and takes a little of the edge off. Once I'm out of the low-speed stop-and-go and up to normal road speed, it seems to smooth out and drive okay, but the low-speed shifting is genuinely excessively rough. From what I've read, this matches the known 10R80 problem where the CDF clutch sleeve can move axially and cause hydraulic-circuit leaks, which leads to slipping, RPM flares, delayed or harsh engagement, and unexpected shifts. Everything I've found says this condition progressively worsens as the transmission degrades. That's exactly why I'm filing now rather than waiting. A hard, unpredictable shift or a loss of propulsion at the wrong moment — pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, merging — can easily cause a collision. I don't want to wait until it fails in a dangerous spot and someone in my family gets hurt. I'd like NHTSA to investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition on Ford F-150s and to review Ford's warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, and other owner complaints to determine whether this is a defect requiring a recall. Owners shouldn't have to wait for a dangerous failure before a known condition like this is addressed.

NHTSA ID

11754192

Incident

Jul 31, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly slipped at least twice, and shifts violently often. The truck while driving on a 35mph road after just going over a railroad track I went to accelerate and lost gear and the transmission slipped really bad and violently caught a gear after reaching around 4000 rpm. The truck also shifts violently when under moderate acceleration at almost all times in gears 2-5 creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed.

NHTSA ID

11754157

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the remedy would not be available until the end of 2026. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11753354

Incident

Sep 28, 2024

Mileage

30,000 mi

The vehicle is currently at Kayser Automotive Group located at 2303 West Beltline Hwy Madison, WI 53713, their direct line is [XXX], since the diagnoses of the corrosion of the DCN. SYSTEMS & COMPONENTS THAT FAILED: A faulty or clogged engine bay drain plug failed to divert water, causing significant water accumulation that routed into the interior cabin. This water intrusion directly soaked interior carpeting and exposed the Data Communication Network (DCN) connector and Body Control Module (BCM) wiring harness to moisture, resulting in severe pin corrosion and electrical communication faults. The vehicle and all affected components are fully available for inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK: The DCN connector and Body Control Module control critical vehicle operations, exterior lighting, instrument clusters, and safety/driver-assistance systems. Water corrosion on these communication buses causes unpredictable, uncommanded electrical failures and module communication dropouts while operating the vehicle at speed, creating a severe crash hazard to occupants and surrounding traffic. DEALER CONFIRMATION & INSPECTIONS: The issue was physically inspected and confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership service department, Kayser Automotive Group located at 2303 West Beltline Hwy Madison, WI 53713. Dealership technicians verified the water accumulation path, identified the faulty/clogged drain pathway, and documented physical corrosion on the DCN wiring connector. A Technical Assistance Center (TAC) case was requested to escalate the defect to Ford Corporate. WARNING LAMPS & PRIOR SYMPTOMS: Initial symptoms appeared as heavily saturated interior floor carpets and standing water pooling near the cowl/dash area. Shortly thereafter, intermittent electrical glitches, warning lamps on the instrument cluster, and network communication Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) appeared as the corrosion worsened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11753065

Incident

May 21, 2026

The computer system malfunctioned; the front panel warning was "Stop vehicle and check regen. brakes". I put my car in drive and when I hit the gas pedal the car reversed instead of going forward. I got it towed to the dealer at Piazza Hyundai in Limerick PA. The service did not provide me with an explanation about the warning and showed little concerns to the issues, I was given a month time frame for looking at my car. I consider this a safety issue as the car did not respond appropriately to D and R, I suspect a computer failure.

NHTSA ID

11752337

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

On July 15, 2026, I took the vehicle to Lafontaine Ford for maintenance and to address open recalls. I was informed that the open recall for the low-pressure fuel pump (campaign 25S75) did not have a solution available. Due to the severity of the recall, I contacted the Ford Customer Care Center. A representative stated that a solution would be available on July 17, 2026, and that they would contact Lafontaine Ford to prioritize the vehicle for repair on July 18, 2026. On July 17, 2026, I followed up with Lafontaine Ford and confirmed they had received no contact or notation from Ford regarding prioritization. Lafontaine Ford also stated they had no information on when parts would become available and that nothing could be done at that time. I then contacted the Ford Customer Care Center again because no action had been taken, even though the recall has been open since approximately July 8, 2025. A Ford Customer Care Center representative confirmed that no remedy was available for my model year and that they did not know when one would be available. Due to the seriousness of the recall, I requested a courtesy vehicle. The Ford representative contacted Lafontaine Ford regarding this request and then disconnected the call. The Lafontaine Ford representative informed me they could not provide a courtesy vehicle without written confirmation from Ford due to the dealership having no reasonable timeframe of when parts/remedy would be available. When I called the Ford Customer Care Center back and explained what Lafontaine Ford had told me, I was treated indifferently and was disconnected twice. I eventually spoke with a supervisor who refused to escalate the concern or provide any assistance with the documentation Lafontaine Ford said they needed in order to provide a courtesy vehicle. The low-pressure fuel pump is the component identified in the recall and can fail, resulting in loss of engine power or stall while driving. This creates a significant safety risk, part

NHTSA ID

11751190

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

The steering wheel becomes crooked almost 90 degrees to the left and car still driving straight, just happened overnight I believe after system update

NHTSA ID

11749641

Incident

Jul 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11748899

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

Good Afternoon. The Pro Power Onboard high-voltage electrical system has experienced a permanent malfunction, locking out with a "Ground Fault Detected" warning. The vehicle is a 2021 Ford F-150 Rocky Ridge conversion. This failure stems directly from a defective or incomplete execution of Safety Recall 23S35 (NHTSA Campaign 23V613000).The initial remedy applied by the dealership consisted only of adding protective tape to the rear wiring harness. However, due to the increased travel and ride height of the official Rocky Ridge suspension lift, the wiring harness pulled out of its factory retaining side clip. This caused excessive tension and stretching on the high-voltage lines, completely exposing the bare interior colored wires and leaving them vulnerable to road moisture and friction against the metal frame.The system now triggers a permanent short-to-ground error, creating an imminent risk of an electrical short circuit or vehicle fire under the high-voltage (120V/240V) lines. The Ford dealership and corporate customer care refuse to remedy this recurring safety hazard under the recall warranty because it was previously marked as completed, even though the applied remedy failed to safely secure the harness. The component is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11748514

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, VIN [XXX]. At 112,000 miles — just 1,000 miles outside of warranty — the vehicle experienced catastrophic failure of the hybrid battery system. Ford's own technician diagnosed a short in the high voltage battery system that caused damage to the hybrid electric drive unit. Repair estimate is $19,000. Ford declined goodwill warranty coverage despite the vehicle being only 1,000 miles outside warranty and the failure occurring on a known problematic system. This is a $72,000 vehicle purchased new in 2021 that has suffered a catastrophic drivetrain failure at only 3 years old. The high voltage battery short and hybrid drive unit failure represent a potential safety hazard to drivers and other motorists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11744171

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

Transmission kept slipping out on the freeway. Led to a near accident. Then ended up broken down on a highway while towing a trailer. Transmission couldn’t find gear for the next serval times we tried to place in gear. Then on the third time it went into gear and started driving again only to slip out and lead to another breakdown on the highway. Still had to drive it into dealership in its unsafe condition.

NHTSA ID

11741943

Incident

May 28, 2026

At a stoplight the truck began running rough. When the light turned green, the truck failed in just 3 blocks (approximately 1 minute). Power was greatly reduced. Check engine illuminated on dashboard, then another red icon, followed by a stop safely now message. Immediately I attempted to pull over from the left lane to the right lane but the truxk Immediately stalled across both lanes, blocking all traffic. Ford dealer has ordered a new fuel pump and the repair is pending.

NHTSA ID

11741724

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

When starting from a stop or rolling slowly under 15 mph, pressing the accelerator pedal — even flooring it — produces no engine or motor response for 1–3 seconds. The vehicle then suddenly accelerates. This occurs intermittently on both electric and gas power. Safety concern because it delays merging or pulling out into traffic.

NHTSA ID

11730848

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

Several times, the vehicle has failed to accelerate or respond to accellerator pedal input for several seconds. It seems to happen when switching from electric to hybrid modes, and when shifting between lower gears simultaneously. Once the switch to hybrid occurs the engine will rev high with some acceleration even if the accelerator pedal is no longer being pressed. This acceleration has happened when I had my foot over the brake pedal in anticipation of pulling over to stop since the truck would not accelerate. There are no warning lights or messages that appear on the vehicle. It is dangerous because it seems to happen when trying to accelerate from a lower speed. If it happens when trying to change lanes in stop and go traffic or while pulling into traffic other cars would have to brake hard to avoid hitting our vehicle that has experienced stalled acceleration. It is also dangerous because once the transition happens there is brief uncommanded acceleration.

NHTSA ID

11728706

Incident

Mar 7, 2026

My truck because of the transmission and it's "powertrain" faults; puts itself in low power mode. I can be driving fine, stop for a red light, to turn a corner or before pulling into oncoming traffic leaving a parking lot etc and without warning, no power. It won't go over 5-10 miles an hour. You have to let off the gas and give gas sometimes more than once to get the truck to finally pick up and go. I have almost been hit countless times because I suddenly couldn't get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The dealer has confirmd to me a few times that this is a transmission issue that is sending my powerboost into low power mode. I believe he said the tech that drove it said it was dangerous; but a known issue. Started a few years ago and doesn't happen all the time. Occurs sporadically and lately more and more frequently.

NHTSA ID

11727476

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

Vehicle Information 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost VIN: [XXX] Complaint Description While driving approximately 70 mph on a highway, my 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost suddenly displayed a “Stop Safely Now” message and immediately lost propulsion. The engine shut down without warning while I was in active traffic. After the shutdown, the vehicle automatically shifted into park and would not allow me to shift into neutral. This left me unable to move the vehicle out of a live traffic lane. I was forced to shut the vehicle off while still in a dangerous roadway position. This incident created a serious safety hazard, as I was traveling at highway speed and could have been rear-ended due to the sudden loss of power and inability to move the vehicle. This issue appears to match Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-2317, which describes “Stop Safely Now” warnings, no-start conditions, and gateway module (GWM) software faults. This indicates a known defect that can cause sudden loss of propulsion. A claim has already been opened with Ford Motor Company under case number [XXX], and the vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership for diagnosis. At this time, the issue has not been resolved. This failure occurred without warning and presents a significant risk to driver safety and others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11726933

Incident

Mar 15, 2026

2021 ford f150 PowerBoost hybrid. There is a LOT of internet chatter and forum chatter about KNOWN issues with the following, and it recently almost led to a major and likely serious injury accident. Specific Parameters: Low speed (~5 mph) slow roll Under internal combustion power, not battery In 2nd gear only When gas pedal is pressed vehicle does nothing. Does not respond. Two choices are to hammer the gas, or hit the breaks. Does two things, slams forward eventually after 3-4 second delay if gas pedal depressed OR shifts down or into electric mode (internal combustion off) and then will once again go from first to third in normal acceleration progression and pace They must have an issue with the standard 1-3 skip programming with ICE power and 2nd gear being a hang-up I almost got T boned by a semi truck due to this with family in car. This could have been deadly. It happens as an annoyance at least once per day but this one was scary. Online, and based on what I can find - Ford is aware of this issue as they have the 1-3-5 programming in the transmission but when it finds itself (due to real world driving conditions) in 2nd gear under Internal combustion, it does not know what to do. I brought it to Ford last year in Anchorage and they are attempting to blame it on normal hybrid system operation. That is NOT the case. It would be something that could be duplicated but with effort. A basic, simple test drive is NOT going to find this. They are aware of this being an issue. If you have any situation where you are rolling through, merging into traffic, or other scenario where you end up in 2 under ICE you are in TROUBLE. Dangerous, scary, and totally a manufacturer issue that is known and needs to be taken VERY seriously.

NHTSA ID

11712898

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

My Ford F150 was traveling on I95 North in Maryland when an emergency notice on the dashboard told be to pull over. The truck would not restart and had to be towed to a Ford dealer. I have since been told a controller module caught fire and damaged the hybrid battery and both would need to be replaced at a cost of over $10,000. This is a know issue and other Ford F150 Hybrid trucks as well as other Ford cars have already been recalled. Ford claims that my VIN was not included in the recall even though I experienced exactly what the recall was suppose to prevent. My wife and I could have been killed while traveling on the highway at 70 MPH and the vehicle was on fire without our knowledge.

NHTSA ID

11702253

Incident

Nov 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH during a snowstorm, the windshield wipers failed to function as intended. The contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor coming from under the hood of the vehicle, entering the vehicle through the A/C vents. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the windshield wiper motors had failed and needed to be replaced along with the wiring. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the Extended Warranty was lapsed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (VISIBILITY); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 37,000.

NHTSA ID

11648089

Incident

Feb 7, 2025

Mileage

37,000 mi

On numerous occasions, with increasing frequency, the truck has suddenly not responded to pressing the throttle pedal. I have not figured out the exact situation that makes it happen. From the best of my knowledge I am not sure exactly what induces the issue. I have noticed it several times where the truck goes from a mid range RPM (consistent with normal driving conditions) then after the brake or natural deceleration occurs and you go to reengage the throttle pedal the truck does not respond. There is a very extended delay to any speed increases. This has been extremely dangerous when making left turns through traffic as the truck does not respond and leaves you in harms way. It has been happening several times a week now and I have read numerous reports of the same thing on forums. I see no warning lights or pop ups that can support a large issue.

NHTSA ID

11647951

Incident

Mar 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into neutral while the vehicle was being towed. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with powertrain control module failure. The contact was informed that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11646699

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

Mileage

102,000 mi