2018 Ford Mustang Powertrain (other) Problems

Was driving my vehicle roughly 10-15mph after a stop, noticed vehicle wasn’t shifting into the gears properly as it was only in 2nd gear and the RPMs kept climbing, when it finally shifted into 3rd gear my transmission proceeded to lockup cause my rear tires to skid and stop in the middle of traffic and in the middle of an intersection disrupting the flow of traffic. Vehicle displayed a wrench light on the dash saying “see manual” as related to a Powertrain issue. Vehicle is in limp mode and barely drives, any shifting after 1st gear will cause the vehicle to lockup and lose all power for several seconds. ONLY HAS 28,330 MILES, DID NOT REACH THE FIRST SERVICE INTERVAL FOR MAINTENANCE ON THE TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ID

11754868

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

My 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with the 10R80 automatic transmission began experiencing hesitation, delayed engagement, and harsh jerking during low-speed acceleration (15-20 mph), especially when cold. Engine RPM would increase, but the vehicle would hesitate before engaging. The condition worsened over time and eventually the vehicle entered limp mode, causing a significant loss of power and illuminating a wrench warning light. An authorized Ford dealership diagnosed DTC P07F6 (Gear 9 Incorrect Ratio). The dealer verified fluid level, updated the PCM, and performed adaptive relearn procedures, but the problem remained. The transmission fluid was found to be dark with a burnt odor, and the dealer diagnosed an internal transmission failure requiring complete transmission replacement at an estimated cost of $9,250. This created a safety concern because the vehicle did not consistently accelerate as expected when entering traffic, crossing intersections, or merging onto roadways. Delayed engagement and loss of power reduced the ability to accelerate when needed. The vehicle has approximately 82,256 miles and has been maintained according to Ford's recommended service schedule. I am also aware of numerous publicly documented owner reports, technical discussions, and litigation involving the Ford 10R80 transmission used in vehicles from this generation. One of the commonly discussed concerns involves the CDF drum design in earlier 10R80 transmissions. My understanding is that Ford later revised the CDF drum design in subsequent production; however, when I contacted Ford regarding this transmission failure and requested assistance with repair const, they advised that my vehicle was not covered by any recall, customer satisfaction program, or warranty extension related to this issue. I am submitting this report so that my experience can be considered together with other reports to determine whether a broader safety-related defect exists.

NHTSA ID

11752476

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

While completing a turn at a T-intersection, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of motive power for several seconds, leaving the car stationary in the path of oncoming traffic. The transmission (10R80) failed to engage, a known symptom of internal CDF Drum sleeve failure (TSB 24-2254). This follows a 'Green' inspection by a dealer on March 23rd where an axle seal leak and shifting issues were overlooked. The failure to engage gear during a turn creates an unreasonable risk of a T-bone collision.

NHTSA ID

11732274

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

I was driving down the road in my 2018 Mustang ecoboost. When all of the sudden slowing down it locked the rear wheels up. I slid off the road and fortunately I didn’t hit anything but it did pop my side skirt off in the rear of the car. Thankfully the person behind me reacted in quick enough time to get around me considering the rainy weather conditions. This is very dangerous. It’s throwing a code for a solenoid B. Had traction control lights. And says see manual. But they all illuminated after the problem first happened. The car has been parked for a while. However someone suggested I try this website. There were no pre warnings to what was going on. The car drove fine up until the point of it just randomly deciding to lock the rear wheels up. I still owe money on the car and have been paying for it for almost two years since it happened. The car has around 100k miles. I saw online where my car is not the only case. One of the cases the car almost got hit by a train. Yikes.

NHTSA ID

11708074

Incident

Dec 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop while attempting to shift to second gear. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving in second gear, which required the contact to release the accelerator pedal before the vehicle could shift to second gear. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly’s, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11695078

Incident

Oct 8, 2025

Mileage

70,000 mi

The vehicle jolts when placed from park or reverse to Drive after being driven 30 or more minutes or driving 10+ miles. I had previously sent it to 3 different dealerships and only one was able to temporarily resolve the issue. They had to adjust the issue through a computer system. However, after 6-12 months, it is happening again. I feel that is a property or safety issue for drivers because, the transmission or shift change makes the vehicle jump forward and if not carefully could possibly hit another vehicle or person that passes through the front side of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11687193

Incident

Sep 14, 2025

For roughly 4mths beginning in April 2025, my 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost has been suffering from a sporadic misfire, with it the system reporting the misfire and the check engine light coming on, the Ford App identifying the misfire occurring. It was initially repaired with replacing all spark plugs, ignition leads. The sporadic misfire would continue to occur, Ford dealership kept the car for 2 days in late July, took everything apart said they were unable to replicate the misfire, cleared the codes (P0303 being the main one that appears consistently) and said to come back if it occurred again. Roughly 2 weeks later the issue occurred again, took the vehicle back to Ford where they kept the car for 2 days, went through the same process and could not replicate the issue. They dug deeper into the issue and found that the coolant would not hold pressure and with the use of a video scope found that the Intake Valve had fractured and was leaking coolant into the engine as well as distributing multiple shards and pieces of metal from the Valve Intake Fracture. Informed me that the only option was to replace with a new engine and turboboost. They reviewed and found that there were no recalls related to this issue for this vehicle. After undertaking my own research, I found this to be a known issue for Ford and that roughly 100k vehicles had been recalled starting with the 2020 vehicles for the same issue. The out of pocket expense is around 14k, and the vehicle is currently waiting on a replacement engine to arrive. Currently Ford are not offering any assistance in the cost of the replacement, been though they have been servicing the car since 2020 and it is regularly maintained per their guidelines of vehicle needs based on the mileage driven.

NHTSA ID

11682090

Incident

Apr 25, 2025

I have a 2018 Mustang GT with the 10R80 transmission. The transmission started giving me problems like slamming and slipping while shifting and sometimes jumping in and out of gear when drinking in the highway.The problem came from an engineering is with the CDF Drum... Ford has updated the CDF Drum and has fixed the problem. Ford never issues a recall to fix this problem with the vehicles produced with this issue but instead just used the updated production parts in the later models leaving the customers like myself to have to either pay out of pocket or rely on a warranty or after market warranty company to have this very expensive issue fixed. Right now as I am writing this, my car is in the transmission shop. Please help me. When I did a Google search of the CDF Drum issue, this is what was quoted: "The 2018 Ford Mustang GT with the 10R80 transmission can experience issues with the CDF (Clutch-Drum-Forward) drum, specifically with its bushing. This problem can lead to slippage, harsh shifting, and potential transmission failure. Ford has addressed this issue with design revisions to the CDF drum, including adding a lip to the bushing to prevent it from moving and causing fluid leaks."

NHTSA ID

11679886

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle jerked until shifting into gear. 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 CDF drum and the main control were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: 25-2126 as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11659987

Incident

May 9, 2025

Mileage

102,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse properly, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11659199

Incident

May 6, 2025

Mileage

70,000 mi

2018 Ford Mustang Echo boost. Engine light came on code P0420 which is the Catalytic Converter and we already new this when bringing it into Ford dealership. We informed the check in Advisor the Transmission feels like it's slipping or jerks when in 2nd Geer which slows down the vehicle. Took it to Ford and was first informed the Transmission was good nothing wrong with it just need to change my Catalytic Converter because that was the code. We changed the Catalytic Converter but when driving still was experiencing the same thing we originally brought it in for which is the Jerking and slowing down upon accelaration. Took it back to Ford they re checked it and said the CDF Drum is failing and to repair it would cost $4000. I don't have $4000 and my vehicle is out of warranty because of the mileage.

NHTSA ID

11654673

Incident

Mar 21, 2025

Car jerking,Rpm needle jumps alot,feel like im going to run into someone or something, not getting gas mileage like before.

NHTSA ID

11654386

Incident

Mar 13, 2025

transmission solenoid malfunction (p0757). car came to an abrupt stop in the middle of a speeding boulevard for no external reason at all. there was no prior impact or damage. i almost got rear-ended and t-boned ten times. considering the amount of complaints on this ford transmission 10R80, i firmly believe this transmission needs to be recalled and our repair/damage expenses reimbursed. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11602736

Incident

Jul 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was advised that the 1st and 2nd clutch plates needed to be replaced; however, when the contact attempted to start the vehicle the next day, it was difficult shifting gear, causing the vehicle to jolt while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be removed and the CDS Drum needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11568804

Incident

Jun 15, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the contact became aware that the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear. The vehicle then stopped independently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the transmission being faulty. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 37,339.

NHTSA ID

11555055

Incident

Nov 5, 2023

Mileage

37,339 mi

When shifting into drive from reverse there's a two to 3 second delay and when it does go into drive it jerks foward

NHTSA ID

11526289

Incident

Jun 8, 2023

2018 Ford Mustang with 10R80 10 speed transmission. Bronco like action when slowing almost whiplash like , stalls when stopping sometime, very hard shift jerking, hard downshifting when slowing, clunking into reverse, loss of power suddenly on the FREEWAY!!!!!!!!!, very hot transmission temperatures (230+), limp mode, Very unsafe if in any FORD or other vehicles have the 10R80. Immediate recall is needed, immediate acknowledgement by FORD MOTOR COMPANY is needed here so all the multiple lawsuits can stop and safety can / should be the top priority here. SAFETY 1ST.

NHTSA ID

11523039

Incident

May 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at stop light the rear end of the vehicle would began to shake before the vehicle would stall and shut off and the message "shift to park" had displayed. The contact indicated the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Recall Campaign number: 18V213000(Power Train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11521304

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

Mileage

35,000 mi

******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11490557*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

NHTSA ID

11490558

Incident

Oct 23, 2022

Mileage

7,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that his son parked the vehicle and set the parking brake and exited the vehicle; however, the rolled away and crashed into a tree. The contact stated that after the failure, he researched online and found a recall for rollaway failures however, the vehicle was not manufactured in the date range of the recalled vehicles. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V213000 (Power Train) as the possible cause of the failure. The contact spoke with the local dealer and was made aware that the manufacturer was very rigid when it came to vehicles that were not included in a recall even if the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The contact was also informed that the manufacturer would not help if the VIN was not included in the recall. As a result, the rear bumper was dented, and the contact was unsure if the panel under the trunk was cracked. The contact stated that his son remembered shifting the vehicle into park and applying the parking brake. The contact stated that he heard a chime before exiting the vehicle but had not checked to identify the source of the sound. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The contact had assistance with placing the vehicle back into the initial parking space. The dealer was notified, and the contact was advised to schedule an appointment for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

NHTSA ID

11490557

Incident

Oct 23, 2022

Mileage

7,000 mi

My 2018 Ford Mustang with Automatic Transmisson recently(Sept) started having issues with the gear shift being placed in Park, but the instrument panel is not illuminated in Park. If driver door is open, and keys removed, the chime may or may not sound. Research is showing same issue being reported and recalls were done due to missing roll pin that attaches the park pawl rod guide cup to the transmission case, and unseated transmission gear shift cable clip. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash. The recalls only covered vehicles manufactured at a certain plant. However, my VIN # is not included in recalls. Due to safety concerns that my vehicle may lose Park function and roll away, causing damage/harm to others, I feel it should be included in the recall programs and repaired at no cost to me. I have not taken vehicle to Dealership at this point, as they will charge me $150 diagnostic fee.

NHTSA ID

11490045

Incident

Sep 24, 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the reverse lock out collar failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact was able to freely shift the vehicle into reverse while driving. The contact practiced extreme precaution while driving to prevent the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that a customer satisfaction program had been placed on similar vehicles for the failure; however, his vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11484190

Incident

May 1, 2022

Mileage

9,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated when he had parked his vehicle at his residence driveway and returned later, the vehicle had rolled forward 200 feet into a neighboring parking lot. The vehicle had been stopped by a parking block causing damage to the driver’s side rear fender. Additionally, there was damage to the front-end undercarriage due to climbing over the parking blocks. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started the check transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V213000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,198.

NHTSA ID

11461841

Incident

Apr 21, 2022

Mileage

48,198 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle started jerking. The contact stated while shifting gears the service tire mobility kit warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to several dealers to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA ID

11459738

Incident

Oct 20, 2018

Mileage

2,000 mi

10 speed Ecoboost transmission, doesn't stay in gear and delayed shifts causing acceleration problems. Hard shifts, jerking, and hard lunge forward when shifted into Drive. The forward lunge is unstoppable even with the brake fully engaged. Transmission slip when changing gears while driving. Yes, it's available for inspection. Yes, mine and others safety risk are at risk. Yes, the problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer. Inspected by an authorized dealer/manufacturer. NO other warning lamps or messages.

NHTSA ID

11438326

Incident

Dec 6, 2019