Lawsuit Investigation: Ford Transmission Problems

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have opened a new investigation into complaints from drivers of certain Ford vehicles equipped with a 10R80 transmission.

Specifically, they’re looking to determine whether a defect is causing some drivers to experience harsh or erratic shifting, which can cause the vehicles to jerk, lunge, surge or hesitate between gears. They have reason to suspect that Ford knows (or should know) about the problem – from both consumer complaints and a bulletin it issued to trained technicians – but is not taking the proper steps to address and remedy it.

Now, attorneys are looking into whether a class action lawsuit is possible. Keep reading for more on the investigation, including which vehicles are involved, and how you can get help.

Which Vehicles Are Under Investigation?

In April 2022, Ford released a technical service bulletin (TSB) stating that the cars listed above “may exhibit a harsh engagement/harsh shift/delayed shift,” a problem that may cause the check engine light to illuminate. While the TSB outlined a fix for the problem, some drivers say it didn’t work, and those out of warranty reportedly had to pay for the labor.

A proposed class action currently proceeding on behalf of certain Ford F-150 drivers alleges the transmission issue creates “an unreasonable risk of serious bodily harm and death” and has decreased the value of the vehicles. Attorneys suspect that similar claims can be made on behalf of drivers of other Ford models, including those mentioned above.   

What’s Causing the Transmission Issues?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether the transmission problem may stem from a manufacturing or design defect with the new 10-speed automatic transmissions.

Transmission Problems Reported Online

A handful of Ford drivers have turned to online forums and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to voice their complaints. Some of their stories can be read below [sic throughout]:

I have a 2018 Ford Expedition and for the past few months it was shuddering or hesitating switching from gears 3 to 5. I took it to my Ford shop and they reset some sort of learning module that supposedly learns how you drive and shifts accordingly. Small fee and was quick but it didn't help…This was my first ‘nice’ car purchase and I've never had to have a tranny replaced as well so it stings and I'm trying to figure out what to do next.”
— austin57129, 2018 Ford Expedition driver, Reddit.com

Currently Expedition is sitting at the dealer to get the tranny gone thru. Started noticing on highway when cruising 70+ and stepped on it to pass and downshift. Dropped to 7 or 8 then really slammed into 9 and ok up to 10. Then started noticing hard clunky sometimes hesitant shifts in all odd gears (3,5,7,9) Dealer said something major is going on but now it sits for 2+ weeks until the tranny tech can get to it. Kind of disheartening for such a new vehicle w/ 20k on it.”
— jsarv, 2018 Expedition driver, ExpeditionForum.com

Does anyone else have certain problems with their 10 speed automatic transmission. I have a 2019 mustang gt and I noticed on normal mode it skips certain gears for example it goes from 1st gear to 3rd gear skipping 2nd gear. I also notice that when I put it on any other mode besides ‘normal mode’ the transmission jerks a lot specially when it goes into 3rd gear and on 5th gear I hear a knocking try of noise. I also noticed when I’m going fast on sports, sports + or track mode and it down shift the down shifts are very harsh almost like a whiplash.”
— Emotional-Ad-691, 2019 Mustang driver, Reddit.com

I have about 6k miles on my ranger so far and I can't get over how clunky the transmission is.. Especially the last 2 downshifts. I brought it back to dealer at 4k and they said it's common with the rangers... ‘updated’ the transmission programming and sent me on my way... Gave it about 1500 miles to ‘learn’ and issue never got better... Brought it back to dealer... They said they ‘updated’ the tranny programming again ‘specifically for my issue’ almost 500 miles later still terribly clunky.”
— Mkonig, 2019 Ranger driver, Ranger-Forums.com

Starting at 20,000 miles i started asking the dealer to check the transmission on my vehicle. Very often the transmission shifts very hard to the point you hear and you feel like someone hit your car ( usually from 1st to 3rd gear ) and also when you shift it to reverse it slips. Dealer keeps saying theres no codes coming out on their computer. This always happens in motion on a city street.”
— 2018 Lincoln Navigator driver, NHTSA ID #11220142, NHTSA.gov

How Can a Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit may be able to help drivers recover the money they spent on repairs and compensate them for loss of vehicle value. It could also force Ford to recall and properly remedy the transmission issue for free.

What You Can Do

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