There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2021 Ford F-150in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Trans is hanging shifting into 2nd gear, 4th gear, 7th gear, and 9th gear. Also has gotten stuck in 10th gear 3 times. Had to roll over to the side of the road turn the truck off and restart. Also have hard shifts from 1-3 and then have hard downshifts from 5-4-3.
Unreasonable Delay in Remedy for Recall 23V896 / 23S65 I am filing this complaint to report an unacceptable delay in the remedy for NHTSA Recall 23V896 (Manufacturer 23S65). This recall was issued in December 2023, yet as of April 2026, the manufacturer continues to claim that parts are unavailable for repair. This delay has persisted for nearly three years, during which time the manufacturer has continued to produce and sell new vehicles while leaving existing owners at risk. 1. Component Failure & Inspection: The components involved are the rear axle bolts. The vehicle and the specific components are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: The safety of myself, my passengers, and others on the road is at significant risk. A failure of the rear axle hub bolts can result in a total loss of motive power (the ability to move the vehicle) or cause the vehicle to roll away while in park. Both scenarios significantly increase the risk of a high-speed crash or injury to pedestrians. 3. Confirmation & History: The necessity for this repair has been confirmed by an authorized dealer service center. However, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer’s corporate representatives, police, or insurance. 4. Symptoms & Warnings: There were no warning lamps, messages, or physical symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I only became aware of the defect through the official recall notification provided by the manufacturer and the NHTSA. Conclusion: It is unacceptable that a known safety defect remains unremedied for this duration. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate the manufacturer's failure to provide a remedy within a reasonable timeframe as required by law, especially considering the continued production of new units using similar components.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the contact noticed an unusual grinding sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact noticed a lot of unusual clicking or rattling sounds. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed a fire underneath the vehicle. In addition, the drive shaft was detached. The contact stated that the fire burned out independently. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the drive shaft had scorching around it. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V986000 (Power Train, Structure), was performed on the contact's VIN about six months ago. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Transmission is shuddering at speeds up to 60mph. Can cause the vehicle to jump repeatedly.I am worried at such a high speed the vehicle could lose control and put my life and others at risk. Also can shift very hard when coming to a stop so much so that it feels like I’ve been hit from behind by another vehicle. I’ve never had any type of messages or warning lights prior or post. After searching up issue I have found hundreds and hundreds of other vehicle owners with the 10r80 transmission to be experiencing similar problems. Ford has acknowledged the problem and have a fix but at a high cost. Some people are not able to repair vehicles at that moment could be putting themselves and other at risk of death or injury.
My truck started shifting gears hard while driving and wouldn’t go into reverse when parking. Performance transmission shop is telling me I need a new transmission. Getting multiple error codes.
Vehicle: 2021 Ford F-150 XLT Issue: Transmission Malfunction and Safety Concern I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a serious and ongoing transmission issue with my 2021 Ford F-150 XLT. The vehicle has exhibited multiple dangerous and unpredictable transmission behaviors that raise significant safety concerns. First, the truck experiences a pronounced 3–4 shift flare. During this shift, the engine RPM rises abnormally high before the transmission engages the next gear. This creates a noticeable delay in acceleration and reduces driver control, particularly when merging into traffic or accelerating from lower speeds. Second, there is a severe hard engagement when shifting from Park into Drive or Reverse. The vehicle produces a loud and forceful clunk, accompanied by a jarring motion. This issue occurs consistently and gives the impression of excessive internal wear or mechanical failure within the transmission system. Third, the transmission intermittently becomes stuck in gear or behaves erratically. This includes sudden, harsh downshifts without driver input, bringing the vehicle to a stop, and occasions where the vehicle resists changing gears altogether. These events are abrupt and can be dangerous, especially at highway speeds or in heavy traffic conditions. Additionally, there have been instances of delayed engagement and hesitation when selecting Drive or Reverse, further compounding concerns about reliability and safety. These transmission problems are not only disruptive but also pose a real risk of accident or injury due to loss of predictable vehicle operation. I am requesting that this issue be formally investigated, as it may indicate a broader defect affecting similar vehicles. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Two of my catalytic converters have failed twice. The first time was at the end of January 2024, the second time was at the end of March 2026. All regular maintenance on the vehicle has been completed at a Ford dealership. The only explanation I have received for the failure of the catalytic converters was "the parts were defective." I have owned five Ford trucks in my lifetime and this is the first time the catalytic converters have failed, and they have failed twice on a five year old truck. This is, however, the first hybrid truck I have ever owned. Perhaps there is a defect in the design of the motor that the general public may not be aware of? Hopefully you can look into this situation to prevent someone else from going through the drama that I'm having to deal with. Lightening has already struck twice and I'm just praying that it will strike the third time for me before the two year warranty runs out on these catalytic converters that were just installed in my truck.
I’ve had the transmission replaced along with the torque converter when both failed less than a year ago. The transmission AND the torque converter are now doing the same thing it was doing prior to the replacement. The transmission slips in 4th, 7th and 8th gears. The torque converter whines loudly. Ford will not fix the issues with these transmissions without a hefty out of pocket fee. It’s become very well known that all of these 10R80 engines/transmissions are a major problem that ford is not remedying. If this transmission gives out when I’m on the interstate it’s going to cause a major wreck. I live in the mountains, so a bad transmission can quickly turn into a deadly accident. These transmissions need a permanent fix, not for us owners to continue paying thousands of dollars for replacements or rebuilds. This is fords problem.
My truck has harsh shifting when I accelerate and when I slow down. It skips out of gear into neutral and then goes back into gear. I believe the problem is that my system isn’t communicating with the transmission correctly.There weren’t any warning messages before or after this problem started. I did some research, and my model and year of my truck do have a problem like this no dealership or service center has not inspected this problem
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. 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. 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.
-The hub bolt in the rear axle broke. Truck had to be towed to dealership. Problem was confirmed by dealership. There was no warning lamp and only found out due to flat tire. -In 12/2022, power train failure left vehicle "dead" in the middle of the highway with family of four stranded 400 miles away from home.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side rear axle shaft assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and failed to move even while in neutral(N). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair, which the contact approved. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I put the truck into reverse and tried to back out of my driveway. The truck didn't move for several seconds, then started to move. I brakes, shifted into drive and the truck continued to move backwards. I applied the brakes and the transmission seemed to spin before it moved forward. I drove down the street to the corner. I applied the brakes and the was a shudder and bang as the transmission downshifted from 4th to 3rd. This occurs intermittently over the last 3 months. When I searched online, I learned that these symptoms are consistent with those described in Ford TSB 23-2350. I had an independent mechanic confirm the problem and he noted the fluid was dark. Whrn I spoke to the dealership, they tried to explain the issue was due to the transmission being cold. I'm the original owner of the truck.
10 speed transmission is not working 1 still gear hyper extends dont wanna shift 2 gear bangs 3 rundown rough then sometimes dowshifts back to 2 nd gear the transmission dosent wanna get hot to normal level
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The transmission shifts hard when downshifting from 10th gear on the highway. There is a loud audible clunk that you can also physically feel. Also when shifting around 3rd gear during city driving there is the same problem. Both of these could lead to loss of traction/vehicle control.
When the truck is put into reverse especially when cold the transmission does not initially go into gear. When it finally does the vehicle lurches rearward violently and I have to slam on the brakes to not hit anything. The transmission was just "bench" rebuilt under the Ford powertrain warranty supposedly with a CDF drum and valve body replacement along with software updates including adaptive reset and relearn with the appropriate drive cycles however the vehicle still exhibits this condition. I called Ford customer service and filed a complaint with them last month. They told me to bring to another dealer which the vehicle is currently at and has been for a month. They claim that it is normal for this transmission and refuse to fix it. I have video evidence of the truck being put into reverse and the RPM rising before it slams into reverse. I also demonstrated first thing one morning to a technician after a cold soak overnight and he agreed that the vehicle has a delayed engagement in reverse and when it did finally engage it did so violently. The dealer told me to record it and that would be the best evidence and I did along with presenting it to them. After this they changed their mind and said actually a technician has to witness which I also did. Again they said this wasn't good enough. A field engineer supposedly looked at the vehicle and they wont tell me what he said. Very odd. I feel like im getting the run around and have an unsafe vehicle that Ford refuses and it trying to worm their way out of safetly fixing! In the description below is when the truck can be seen in the video recreating the problem however it has done this countless times.
There is a hard jerk that happens when moving from a dead stop and then it will shift into gear. Its been reproduced by a maintenance shop. They stated it was the transmission. It has not been inspected by a manufacturer. There was no warning lamps which causes a high risk of safety, including a possibility of accident while on the road.
My truck started to over heat due to lost of radiator fluid. The cause was the transmission coolant line chafing against front drive shaft.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026