Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 126 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 126, in the owner's own words
Violent upshift and downshift, erratic shifting, difficulty finding gears, high revs, stuck in 10th gear more than two times, failure to find gears, loud bang when CDF drum seal blew along with loss of power causing it to rapidly slow down, unable to accelerate due to it being stuck in second gear, and unable to accelerate from takeoff causing close calls with traffic.
On January 16, 2026, my Ford F-150 experienced catastrophic 10R80 transmission failure while I was driving to work on the highway. Prior to the failure, I experienced increasingly severe and erratic upshifting and downshifting, particularly between 3rd and 4th gears. The transmission shifted harshly and unexpectedly, raising concerns about its reliability and safety. On the morning of January 16, 2026, the transmission suddenly failed without notable warning. It appeared to lock up, producing extremely loud and alarming mechanical noises. While traveling at highway speed, the rear wheels locked up, causing an immediate and dangerous loss of vehicle control. I was forced to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid striking nearby vehicles. Fortunately, I was able to regain sufficient control to pull onto the highway shoulder without a collision. This incident could easily have resulted in a serious crash, injuries, or fatalities. Following the incident, I contacted Ford and the dealership regarding the failure and safety concerns. Both denied warranty coverage, leaving me responsible for more than $8,000 in out-of-pocket expenses to have the transmission rebuilt. This was not merely a mechanical inconvenience. The combination of severe, erratic shifting followed by catastrophic transmission failure and rear-wheel lockup at highway speed presents a serious safety hazard. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the Ford 10R80 transmission may have a safety-related defect that places drivers and others on the road at risk. Other owners could experience the same sudden failure and loss of vehicle control without warning. I urge NHTSA to investigate these transmission failures, particularly the potential for sudden transmission lockup and rear-wheel lockup while driving at highway speeds.
Lurching/Hard shifting from engaging transmission shifter from park to drive. Audible clunk with lurching 1st to Second and Third gears.
My 2021 F-150 PowerBoost hybrid repeatedly lost propulsion while traveling on the highway in early October 2026, including four incidents on one trip around October 3. At approximately highway speed, the tachometer dropped to zero while the selector remained in D, and the truck coasted as if in neutral. There were harsh shifts around 9th/10th gear and difficulty accelerating beyond approximately 70 mph. A vehicle warning appeared. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery temporarily restored operation. Sudden loss of drive power in highway traffic created a collision risk. The underlying cause has not been independently established. A Ford dealer's October 2026 inspection recorded an internal transmission hydraulic leak, clutch-disconnect trouble codes suggesting a hybrid drive unit concern, a recommendation to replace the transmission with the hybrid drive unit, and high-voltage battery cell-balance DTCs. More recently electric-driving mileage has remained at zero and the gasoline engine continues running while stationary. Severe shifting and vibration had varied between 2H and 4A modes. Around June 2025 the vehicle also stopped operating and was towed to the same dealer; I understand a 12-volt battery was replaced. Photographs from that period show Stop Safely Now and other warnings around 70,000 miles. I request investigation of whether that earlier incident and the present faults are related; I do not claim the same root cause has been proven. Exact diagnostic codes and earlier service details should be verified from the dealer records. The October intake odometer was recorded as 99,632; mileage at the highway incidents is not precisely known.
I picked up my F-150 Powerboost from the Ford dealership after getting and oil change. Recorded mileage was 100,385 (just 385 miles out of the 100,000 EV warranty. Just 2 hours after getting it back the check engine light came on for P0B24 for hybrid battery failure. The Ford dealership diagnosed the issue and confirmed the entire hybrid battery has to be replaced. I requested Goodwill assistance from Ford being that it was <500 miles out of warranty. Ford denied the request immediately. The Ford service department wrote them an email with official confirmation of the issue and the timing of the issue starting. Ford denied their request for Goodwill assistance/financial help within 20 minutes of the request. The repair is $5,000+ out of pocket.
Front Differential had a major failure and had to be replaced. Vehicle only has 31000 miles on it. Warranty did not cover anything. Report said fluid was burnt.
Experiencing total stop of acceleration in two occasions: 1) when putting the car in reverse and pressing the accelerator and 2) when making a left or right turn after a yield or stop. And when I say loss of acceleration, I don’t mean hesitation, reduced power, or sluggish acceleration. I mean absolutely ZERO acceleration. I’ll press the accelerator and nothing happens. The engine stays basically at idle, and the truck will not accelerate for roughly 5-10 seconds, regardless of how much accelerator I’m giving it. Then suddenly power comes back and the truck drives normally again. This happens with normal operating temps while driving most of the day. It got to a point where it happened once every day. Very scary stuff when you're pulling out into traffic - major safety concerns with oncoming traffic.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Failure to repair safety recall in timely manner. Manufacturer Recall Number23S65 NHTSA Recall Number23V896
I purchased my truck in March of 2024 with an undisclosed problem from a dealership in Texas. I contacted them two weeks after it began and they said they couldn't do anything as is the greatest business disappointment of American commerce when used vehicles are purchased under the "As Is" clause. The undisclosed problem is this, my truck loses acceleration power for up to 20 seconds in dangerous situations when I attempt to increase speed from a stop or slower speeds and the truck doesn't shift to accelerate to reasonable speeds. This situation happens each time I drive this truck. The scarier situations happen when changing lanes, turning left, or right, or making U-turns. Each of these conditions threatens safety every time this happens, but more so when there is fast-moving traffic coming behind after changing lanes or if on-coming traffic approaches my now power-less truck when making a left/u-turn. My local dealership shop found the CBF drum in the transmission to be faulty causing internal leaks which fail to engage the gearing system. The repair cost to make my truck safe again is over $7.2k. If this truly is a safety failure problem, I request NHTSA for payment to my dealer or reimbursement, please.
Many times I have experienced a delay in acceleration or where it fails to accelerate relative to the pedal position and will then suddenly aggressively accelerate. This has resulted in me almost being hit in traffic due to the lack of power output leaving me panicked as vehicles barrel down on me while I’m stuck waiting for the truck to get the signal to accelerate. The issue has begun to occur more often but is spontaneous when it occurs leaving me with huge trust issues with the vehicle not knowing when it will decide if it wants to output power or not. It occurs most often after the vehicle has been sitting unused, like first thing in the morning or after work when it has been sitting for hours, and most often when executing a turn from either a slow roll or a stop. Meaning if I’m on a side street and wish to pull out into traffic, it will just decide not to accelerate and leave me sitting in the road as vehicles approach scaring me into pumping the throttle or attempting to push it to the floor in the hopes it gets the signal and will accelerate to get me out of harms way. It’s a huge issue and I’m worried it will result in an accident. I’ve also seen many other are experiencing the problem. I have an appointment with my local ford dealership to have it looked at but I’m worried they won’t be able to replicate the issue and will leave me with no answers or help.
10 speed transmission has started shifting hard at times and is random when it occurs. At times the hard shift comes with some stuttering under normal acceleration.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the transmission independently shifted to neutral, and the vehicle decelerated. In addition, the power train failure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that within several seconds, the vehicle returned to normal speed, and the power train failure warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a major highway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an external transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced, and the software needed an update. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Multitude of transmission problems, Have smelt clutches in the transmission burning very strongly twice now. Hard shifting up shifting and downshifting. Slamming into gear almost locking up the back wheels. Has failed to move with transmission binding up putting it in reverse. Multiple slippages and different gears. After the truck is stopped at a light for 10 to 30 seconds there will be a hard clacking sound and the transmission that can be felt in the floor. Extreme hesitation almost causing an accident pulling out into traffic. Check engine light one time for faulty Park solenoid and the vehicle would not come out of park. Disconnected and reconnected the batteries. Cleared the code and finally got it to come out of park. The code cleared after 3 days. Was working with the dealership over the phone remotely at the time with it. They said it disappeared and they didn't know why. Transmission has been flushed at 50,000 miles by ford dealership. Ford dealership has done a reprogramming on it so far. Transmission still had problems had a Ford take a ride with me. He stated that it need to be rebuilt or replaced. Ford dealer is dragging their feet to do anything. I have many text messages into the service writer updating him of new problems and current problems as they occur. They are fully well aware of the issues. I drive a lot like 6,000 miles a month and I think they just don't want me put miles on their loaner vehicles for their faulty transmission problems. I purchased the vehicle in February 2024 problems have been occurring since purchase.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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