Ford’s 10-speed transmissions are the subject of a new class action lawsuit that alleges defects such as gear slipping, harsh shifting and acceleration problems. Though 2020—2022 Ford Expedition SUVs are not included in the lawsuit, consumer complaints reveal that the vehicles experience similar issues.
According to complaints submitted to federal regulators, Ford Expedition transmission problems include slipping, shaking, shuddering, stalling, jerking violently into gear and losing power. The 10R80 automatic transmissions have also been installed in certain Ford F-150, Ford Ranger, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles.
To provide a glimpse into the issues plaguing some Ford Expedition SUVs, we have compiled a sample of complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please note that the complaints on the Ford Expedition have been edited for grammar and clarity.
2020 Ford Expedition
I own the 2020 Expedition. We were traveling on Interstate 287 yesterday. I was in the right lane and was stuck behind a slow moving semi-truck. I put on my blinker and waited for an opening in traffic to move into the middle lane. When an opening presented itself, I pressed down on the gas pedal to accelerate into traffic. While the truck should have down shifted and accelerated, instead the powertrain completely disengaged; a total loss of power. The RPM jumped way up to redline, over revving, but the truck was slowing down. I took my foot of the gas pedal and as the RPM came back down, the transmission slammed back into engagement with a loud audible clunk that jolted the whole vehicle. At this point, I was finally able to accelerate. While this was all happening, I had just moved into the middle lane of traffic, which was bearing down on us. All the vehicles behind us were slamming their brakes and honking their horns. I thought for sure we were going to die. Thank God it wasn’t an 80,000 lbs Peterbilt bearing down on us, or we would be dead, by the grace of God we’re not. Upon returning home I went onto the Ford truck owners website I belonged to. I came to learn this is a known issue with Ford’s 10-speed transmission that Ford has failed to address. That there are pending lawsuits and that the NHTSA is aware of the issue. One of the member suggested that I file a complaint with the NHTSA, that was my impetus for writing you today. This is a dangerous condition that Ford needs to remedy.
2020 Ford Expedition
Transmission is slipping very bad. Really shifts hard between gears, especially from 4th to 5th gear. Went to pass a vehicle, on acceleration the transmission slipped and the engine RPM’s went very high. I let off the accelerator and the gear caught. I thought the transmission was done at that time.
2020 Ford Expedition
At 70+ MPH the automatic transmission tried to drop into 1st gear while on the interstate in a passing lane with heavy traffic all around. It had a loud and physical clunk then began to lose power. It was erratic, disorienting and distracting. The sudden change in behavior of the vehicle could have caused me to lose control of the vehicle at speed on a federal interstate and could easily resulted in an accident causing major injury and damage. The dealer says the car has no fault codes and they have download “updates” to the software. To date they have no explanation for why the vehicle behaved in this manner. This is the second time I have taken the vehicle in for odd transmission behavior. I have a video of the dashboard during the event showing the speed, RPM, mileage and the gear selector gauge when the transmission attempted several times to shift from higher gears to the 1st gear. […] This is dangerous with no answers!
2021 Ford Expedition
While accelerating on a busy tollway, the automatic transmission was stuck in 6th gear. The car then began to slow down, and the gear display went blank. This put my safety and the safety of others at risk, as it happened in the left lane of a busy, high-speed tollway. The local dealership refused to help–even though the car is within warranty–as they did not believe the issue was replicable. However, the car had a similar problem on a lower-speed roadway just a few weeks prior. In both incidents, the transmission became stuck in one gear, the gear display on the dashboard went blank, and the car began to decelerate.
If you have recurring Ford Expedition transmission problems, your vehicle may be a lemon. Learn more about Ford’s 10-speed transmission problems and your California lemon law rights. If you would like more information, complete the consultation form below to request a free consultation.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2017–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guides on the California Lemon Law and Used Car Lemon Law for more information.
