2021 Ford F-150 transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V402000Jun 24, 2026741,195 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

  Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

• Recall 25V169000Mar 14, 2025567 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 22V-188. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for low transmission fluid pressure may falsely activate and cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift into neutral.

  Risk: An unexpected shift into neutral will cause a loss of drive power and increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S24.

• Recall 23V896000Dec 22, 2023112,965 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design. The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.

  Risk: Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied or cause a loss of drive power. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right rear axle shaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 9, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S65.

• Recall 22V623000Aug 12, 202258,203 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT · STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.

  Risk: A fractured driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power, or a loss of vehicle control if the driveshaft contacts the ground. Additionally, unintended movement could occur while parked if the parking brake is not engaged. Any of these scenarios increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft, as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 1, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S53.

• Recall 22V188000Mar 25, 202247,084 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for low transmission fluid pressure may falsely activate and cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift into neutral.

  Risk: An unexpected shift into neutral will cause a loss of drive power and increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 12, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S15.

• Recall 21V986000Dec 16, 2021184,698 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT · STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.

  Risk: A fractured driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power, or a loss of vehicle control if the driveshaft contacts the ground. Additionally, unintended movement could occur while parked if the parking brake is not engaged. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 4, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S56.

• Recall 21V381000May 24, 20214,436 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The two-piece driveshafts may have been improperly assembled, which could result in driveshaft separation.

  Risk: Driveshaft separation may result in a sudden loss of drive power, or unintended vehicle movement if the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driveshaft, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 15, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S25.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   I have experienced ongoing issues with transmission. Two separate dealerships have done partial "rebuild" to no avail. The vehicle has lost power several times which include 09/24/26 at approximately 3:30 pm. while pulling onto a busy highway in heavy traffic. As soon as I got home, I parked the truck in the carport where it remains as of this writing. There have never been any warning lights, symbols, etc. on dash when these and other multiple problems with this vehicle…

   NHTSA complaint #11769960 · source
2. Filed Oct 3, 2026IATransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle: 2021 Ford F-150 Tremor Mileage: Approximately 103,000 miles My 2021 Ford F-150 Tremor developed a severe shudder and vibration during acceleration. The condition progressively worsened and became significant enough that I had the vehicle professionally inspected. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failing torque converter as the cause of the acceleration shudder/vibration. The truck has been well maintained throughout my ownership. It is garage kept and receives…

   NHTSA complaint #11768648 · source
3. Filed Oct 2, 202650,000 miTXTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and hesitated while shifting into drive(D). The contact later discovered that the gear shifter was stuck in park(P) and the vehicle was undriveable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the parking pawl solenoid had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (POWER TRAIN); but was informed that the part to do the recall…

   NHTSA complaint #11768562 · source
4. Filed Sep 29, 202619,605 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshift. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted and the dealer disassembled the transmission and replaced the hub assembly, Part Number: ML3Z7H351B; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was…

   NHTSA complaint #11767700 · source
5. Filed Sep 16, 2026113,468 miTXTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact's son owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that her son reported that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated significantly and shifted hard while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000…

   NHTSA complaint #11764618 · source
6. Filed Sep 16, 202653,000 miVATransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into park (P), the gear shifter became stuck, requiring the contact to remove the key from the ignition or depress the brake pedal until a whining sound ceased in order to shift into park (P). The contact stated that while operating the vehicle in reverse (R), the vehicle suddenly shifted into park (P) and stopped immediately. The failure recurred several times while in reverse (R). The…

   NHTSA complaint #11764607 · source
7. Filed Sep 11, 2026MOEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am reporting a severe safety defect where Ford Motor Company's sequential safety recall software updates are actively corrupting powertrain modules and inducing physical mechanical failures while the vehicle is in operation.Following the completion of the 24S55 Engine Intake Valve Recall (which reflashed the PCM and wiped the transmission's adaptive learning tables), my 2021 Ford F-150 developed an immediate operational shudder. Shortly after, a forced Over-the-Air (OTA)…

   NHTSA complaint #11763680 · source
8. Filed Sep 9, 2026LATransmission & Drivetrain

   I’m concerned about the 1080R transmission CDF drum issues that ford had on these year models.Mine is downshifting hard at times not every gear but more between 5-8 gears, or especially coming to a stop light it will down shift hard from 3rd to 1st. Shifting up is not as bad as the downshifting but it still does shift harder than normal.Just doing research on others that had the bad parts in their CDF drum issues seem like mine is having same issues.

   NHTSA complaint #11763169 · source
9. Filed Sep 5, 2026MDTransmission & Drivetrain

   When I begin the accelerate from a stopped position I apply the accelerator to begin driving and after a couple seconds after entering the roadway, the vehicle looses power and appears to stall, after a couple more seconds or less the vehicle revs and accelerates very quickly in a jerking fashion and resumes moving forward. Sometimes the vehicle will do this several times in a short distance. This loss of power and erratic motion have happened several times when I have…

   NHTSA complaint #11762326 · source
10. Filed Sep 3, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain

    I am reporting a serious safety-related transmission issue involving my 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. On multiple occasions during normal driving, the transmission has behaved unpredictably and, at times, dangerously. The transmission has suddenly lost the selected gear, slipped or failed to engage, shifted violently, experienced significant RPM flares, unexpectedly downshifted, and harshly clunked into first and second gear while coming to…

    NHTSA complaint #11761795 · source
11. Filed Aug 29, 2026MTTransmission & Drivetrain

    The CDF drum is going bad cause the transmission to slip and downshift while going at highway speeds. Many many many owners report this and Ford created a new CDF drum for owners to put in. However this costs thousands of dollars to replace when they know the CDF drum is faulty.

    NHTSA complaint #11760526 · source
12. Filed Aug 25, 202682,449 miOKTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from fourth to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and waited before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that two days prior to the failure, a message was displayed indicating that an over-the-air software update was performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline).…

    NHTSA complaint #11759467 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology