2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid Engine Problems

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

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

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

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

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. While at a stoplight, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to move or respond as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the failure might be battery-related. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11646031

Incident

Feb 19, 2025

Mileage

140,000 mi

Vehicle has completely unresponsive gas pedal for 3-5 seconds. Gas pedal is completely dead. This occurs randomly but mostly in a stop and start accelerating situation. Once the 3-5 seconds passes gas pedal responds normally. No codes generated during incident.

NHTSA ID

11645402

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

Vehicle suddenly overheated affecting ability to drive in traffic. Discovered coolant leak. The very issue determined by the dealership is the exact issue of a current recall. They say it’s not associated with my vin despite being the exact issue for the exact make and model. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11643313

Incident

Dec 17, 2024

When turning right there was a complete loss of power with no response from the throttle it was just stuck coasting at 20klm hr. For 20 seconds or so then throttle kicked in and normal operation again. This has happened twice now in the past week. Very dangerous especially when turning into traffic.

NHTSA ID

11636701

Incident

Jan 18, 2025

Mileage

115,000 mi

Despite having been told my truck was fixed at a dealer shop, my truck still displays an absence of forward propulsion when applying the gas pedal and trying to accelerate from slower speeds. This has happened when trying to make a left or right turn when there is oncoming traffic. Sometimes this happens while trying to accelerate on the on-ramp of a highway to get up to normal piste speed limits with traffic very fast behind me. The dealer I took it to said they fixed the issues. Luckily I can apply the Manual mode with a button, but this is distracting when trying to look for the button, and the issue comes back in Automatic mode.

NHTSA ID

11636197

Incident

Jun 30, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact that the engine coolant over temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine coolant system failed and needed to be repaired, The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11634890

Incident

Jan 8, 2025

Mileage

65,000 mi

After a right turn in a residential street, I pressed the accelerator to progress on the roadway. The truck did not accelerate, so I looked at the tachometer and observed it above 0 and below 1,000 rpm. The engine was running, but unresponsive despite pumping the accelerator. While rolling at 5 mph I shifted the transmission to neutral and continued pumping the accelerator. There was no response for the next 200'. Finally, the engine became responsive and ran normally. It runs normally now. I cannot reproduce this issue. I called the Ford dealer service on 8 November 24 at Noon and they said "watch for the issue". I expressed that in traffic, a suddenly undependable engine is a serious concern. The accelerator/engine was unresponsive for a continued period of time. The gas engine was in control. There was no check light/warning light. The Ford dealer inspected the telemetry of the vehicle remotely and no anamolies were observed. The dealer declined to inspect the vehicle since the issue is not reproducible.

NHTSA ID

11624360

Incident

Nov 7, 2024

Right turn from stop then try to cleated there is no response from the pedal Will lunge forward and engage throttle if I’m lucky

NHTSA ID

11621403

Incident

Oct 17, 2024

1) Vehicle acceleration delays. From a stopped vehicle condition transitioning onto highway roadway the vehicle failed to accelerate for several seconds. Again from stopped or low speed idling condition following a turn there occurs a 1 to 10 second failure to accelerate. 2) Failure to accelerate puts into question the safety of anyone in any vehicle within proximity to the malfunctioning vehicle. 3) Our personal vehicle problems has not been observed by any dealer, we have not presented it for diagnosis at this time. We are actively monitoring and posting to the [XXX] group about our experience. A ford dealership employee has an advanced Ford factory representative working on understanding the problem. Otherwise, it seems, no one currently understands the issue as yet. 4) Our personal vehicle has NOT been inspected by the Manufacturer, police, insurance reps or others at this point in time. 5) There has never been a warning lamp or message in regard to this acceleration failure. The failure is not predictable in nature. We have never experience such failure at highway traffic speeds. It most often presents when accelerating from an idle or low speed driving condition, often following a turn. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11618451

Incident

Oct 4, 2024

Exhaust Heat Exchanger failure with Powerboost engine at 55k miles. This seems to fail on nearly all Ford F-150 Hybrid Powerboost engines. Ford does NOT cover this repair under the Emissions, Hybrid, or Ford Extended Service plan. This is a known failure they are not covering and is documented in NHTSA SSM 52050.

NHTSA ID

11593011

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission and a battery failure. The vehicle was partially repaired. The vehicle remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11590474

Incident

Mar 30, 2024

Mileage

150,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 15-20 MPH, the gears locked up. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to cover 70 percent of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ID

11578260

Incident

Mar 8, 2024

Mileage

77,000 mi

Vehicle came to complete stop in traffic with warning light "stop vehicle" would not restart. Taken to dealership. Dealership replaced ecu and some switches to power bank and wiring harness behind headlight. Vehicle was returned 1 week later Drove it 2 days later for 10 miles same thing happened, Ford towed it to another dealership where they cleared codes, and they said they can't replicate, Vehicle was returned after a week. 2 days later I drove yo work and again iy happened stopped in middle of road blocking traffic. Was towed by Ford to dealership where they found over 20 codes, said they can't fix. Ford and selling dealer towed to selling dealer, where they cleared codes and said they can't replicate. I refused yo take Vehicle on fear of getting in severe crash when Vehicle stalls and dies in heavy traffic again. I signed title and sent it to selling dealer, they told me that fordwill not let them buy it back. Do I don't have my money or a truck now

NHTSA ID

11550548

Incident

Sep 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle overheated, lost motive power, and stalled. While driving, there was an abnormal clucking noise detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the axle bolt and spacer were missing. Additionally, the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 15,500.

NHTSA ID

11545795

Incident

Sep 7, 2023

Mileage

15,500 mi

This is the 4th time since purchasing the truck that this event has happened with time having the most severe results. When shifting from reverse to park the shifter goes into park and jumps back into reverse. First event (after exiting the truck) the truck rolled into a shipping dock breaking a taillight and buckling the rear bumper. Next two I had one foot on running board and one foot in the truck ant was able to hit the brake stopping the truck. This fourth event one foot was on the running board and one on the ground. As truck went back the door flattened me to the ground and the front tires rolled over both of my legs. The truck rolled up an inclined parking lot, across a busy road and down a bank. I was driven by ambulance to the hospital and then transferred and airlifted to trauma center at Ruby Memorial Hospital. After the second event the local Ford dealer said they could not duplicate the event. The brakes do not hold even though they are depressed and set when the shifter is shifted.

NHTSA ID

11537888

Incident

Jul 12, 2023

This problem has been ongoing, happening nonstop up to multiple times daily since Feb of 2022 and has spent now 70 days at the dealership in search of the issue. Luckily, the vehicle has not caused an incident yet, but I am afraid to drive it if I get it back from the dealer again as the issue has just gotten worse. The vehicle randomly while driving goes into a "limp mode" in which 1 of 2 things happens. 1) If unable to pull over immediately, the vehicle has very erratic throttle control and 2) the vehicle sometimes gives a warning about the "adavancetrack" system and will sometimes shift itself into neutral out of nowhere forcing you to coast to a stop no matter where or what type of street you are on. In researching this problem to help my dealer at first and now to try and protect myself while in a battle with ford, it seems to be a common problem discussed on many forums on the internet and facebook and seems quite common among the F-150 powerboost. Ford is refusing me a buyback at this time and ignoring the safety implications that my vehicle is having

NHTSA ID

11516739

Incident

Feb 21, 2022

For months have been having two issues with my 2021 F150 Powerboost with the CO2 sensors as well as an issue with the Exhaust Heat Exchanger Bypass Valve A. Which after my bumper to bumper warranty expired now needs replaced even though the same issues have been throwing a CEL for months

NHTSA ID

11515863

Incident

Mar 31, 2023

My vehicle has the 3.5L powerboost motor and it has been leaking coolant from the egr cooler since I bought the truck in 01/2022. This has caused my vehicle to overheat and has left me stranded on busy highways.

NHTSA ID

11484313

Incident

Sep 12, 2022

My truck is 2021 f150 powerboot. I got message “ stop safely now” and unable to start the engine. This is happened twice . The first time is about 20K miles, the second times is happened on 8/13/2022 at 55k miles. I brought my car to dealership for first time and service manager told me they waited on ford company for instruction. But no one call me for recall or advice. Please help us. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11479154

Incident

Aug 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving her vehicle at various speeds , her vehicle felt as though someone hit the back of her vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle speeds up and slows down intermittently without warning. The contact stated that she has contacted the dealer as well as the manufacture, but was not successful. The contact also stated that there was a water leak that was leaking over the body control module in the vehicle , causing mold to grown under the hood of the vehicle as well as the cabin of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 8000.

NHTSA ID

11444595

Incident

Jul 1, 2021