LINCOLN PARK, Michigan — Ford Motor Co.'s 10-speed transmission that drives such vehicles as the F-150 pickup and Expedition SUV has become such a frequent visitor to some transmission shops that they've opened a study to address the issue.

The most widespread complaints regarding the 10R80, a product of an alliance between Ford and General Motors Co. to co-develop 9- and 10-speed transmissions, include harsh or erratic shifting, gear slipping, delays in gear changes and shuddering, according to customers, complaints and service bulletins. They've been primarily linked to a slipping CDF clutch drum bushing, particularly on 2022 models and earlier. Because there hasn't been a blanket recall, customers with expired warranties can face shelling out thousands of dollars for a repair or replacement, even with odometer readings well below 100,000 miles.

The GM 10-speed transmission has faced complaints, too, though for a different issue. The Ford CDF repair is being studied at five Jolly's A-1 Quality Transmission & Auto Repair locations. At its Lincoln Park location alone, the shop has done about 30 rebuilds, said Aaron Abouzahr, the shop's manager.

"They are one of the biggest in terms of rebuilding them," he said. "Every one has been under 100,000 miles — every one. If you get it to 100,000, you’re lucky."

With newer transmissions, a study looks at the price points on components and how to build them and not have them come back with issues. The 10R80, which was first introduced in 2017, is "the biggest topic with the owners and managers" at Jolly's A-1's five locations, Abouzahr said.

Brian Tran, 47, of Herndon, Virginia, last year bought a used 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid truck, switching from a Ram pickup to a Ford for its Pro Power Onboard ability to power a house. Within a month of purchase, around 65,000 miles, though, he started experiencing the reported issues.

"It's called a rumble strip noise," Tran said. "It feels like you’re driving on the median. Then it goes away, and then it does it again."

He took it to the dealership. Following technical service bulletins issued by Ford, the service department flushed the transmission's valve body. Two days later, the issue returned. If he hadn't purchased a warranty when he bought the used vehicle, the replacement for the CDF drum would've cost him about $13,000, Tran said.

"Ford needs to be honest and extend the warranty a little longer," he said, noting he loves the truck otherwise. "If they are confident on the build of their trucks, man up, and extend the warranty to 65,000, and gain the trust of the consumer a bit."

Ford's bumper-to-bumper new vehicle warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, but warranty for powertrains, including engines and transmissions, is five years or 60,000 miles, according to the automaker. Ford didn't readily have available the number of 10R80 transmissions it has sold.

“At Ford, customer safety and satisfaction are top priorities," spokesman Mike Albano said in a statement. "We continuously evaluate available data and information to support customer needs. Where appropriate, we take proactive action as reflected in our long history of customer satisfaction campaigns. Customers with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact their Ford dealer.”

No recall issued

The Dearborn automaker hasn't issued a blanket safety recall for the transmissions related to the CDF drum issue, though it has issued technical service bulletins for the 10R80 and has faced multiple class-action complaints and individual lawsuits in several states and Canada. An Illinois federal judge denied class certification for one in September, though the claims were allowed to proceed on an individual basis.

"Ford has never disclosed the Transmission Defect to consumers," attorney Gregory Coleman wrote in 2019 in the original filing in O'Connor v. Ford Motor Co. encompassing 2017-20 F-150 trucks. "Instead, Ford attempted to squelch public recognition of the Transmission Defect by propagating the falsehood that the harsh and bumpy shifting in Class Vehicles was 'normal.'"

Coleman referred a Detroit News inquiry on the case to colleague Adam Edwards, to whom The News sent an interview request.

Jeffrey Cummings, judge of the U.S. Northern District Court of Illinois Eastern Division, denied the class-action certification for a few reasons, including failure to present sufficiently persuasive evidence to show that the class vehicles suffer from a common defect attributable to a common cause. An appeal was denied earlier this month.

A similar, still-pending putative class-action suit lodged in Massachusetts includes 2017-23 F-150s, Expeditions, Mustangs, Rangers, Transits and Lincoln Navigators with 10R80 transmissions. In its 2023 complaint, it cites more than 70 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration transmission complaints.

Ford has issued technical service bulletins addressing problems with the 10R80 transmission in vehicles including the 2017–22 F-150, 2018–22 Mustang, 2020–22 Explorer and certain Expedition, Navigator and Transit models. The bulletins identify movement of the CDF clutch cylinder sleeve as a potential cause of harsh or delayed shifting. For the newer vehicles covered by the CDF bulletins, the affected transmissions were manufactured on or before Aug. 15, 2022.

Technical service bulletins are official documents that go to dealership service departments and mechanics that explain a known problem and instructions to fix it. TSBs have identified axial movement or slippage of the CDF clutch cylinder's internal bushing sleeve. When the bushing moves out of place, fluid pressure loss can happen across clutch packs.

If cleaning of the main control valve body doesn't address the issue, technicians may need to do a full bench tear-down of the transmission to replace the defective CDF clutch cylinder, which has a redesigned retention lip along with new seals.

A revised CDF drum with a stop-lip design to prevent the bushing from slipping was introduced to production in mid-2022. Other TSBs recommend software updates, valve body repairs and other fixes for harsh or delayed shifting in earlier and subsequent model years with 10R80s, as well.

Ford has issued targeted recalls for vehicles with 10R80 transmissions. They involve defects in the parking system that can cause a rollaway risk. It also issued a recall on certain remanufactured transmissions because of missing internal bearings that could prevent the transmission from holding park.

Ford spokesperson Daniel Peake said the automaker's engineering team is unaware of current transmission issues and that it made no extensive changes to the refreshed F-150's transmission for the 2027 model year.

GM sees troubles, too

Transmissions in GM vehicles have also faced complaints, though a common issue is different and is related to the valve body assembly. In 2024, it recalled hundreds of thousands of trucks equipped with a transmission control valve that could fail and cause rear wheels to lock up.

Other technical service bulletins address erratic operation and diagnostic trouble codes stemming from internal hydraulic sealing failure on the spacer plate or target vibrations and harsh auto-stop re-engagement.

GM declined to comment on its customer response to the issues on the 10-speed transmission and the co-development project.

Jolly's A-1's Abouzahr said his shop has seen fewer of the GM 10-speed transmissions, probably about five. The challenge with that fix, however, he said, is that replacement parts are scarce: "You can’t get their valve bodies."

The shop has found it needs to be particular with where it sources parts for successful repair of the Ford transmissions, too. Fixes for both the Ford and GM vehicles usually start at $6,500 at Jolly's, Abouzahr said, adding that now "I've got a pretty good formula here."

Managers at a couple of other local transmission shops acknowledged repair jobs on the 10-speed transmissions, while others said they hadn't seen any.

Meanwhile, Don Hooker, manager and rebuilder at Bill’s Transmission Service in Taylor, said he sees the 10-speed transmissions "no more than other vehicles" and acknowledged frequent visits from 9-speed Ford Escape crossovers, too.

Quality woes dog older Fords

Ford especially has been under scrutiny for quality issues. It was put under an independent federal monitor in 2024 to oversee its recall processes, data analytics and compliance after NHTSA found it failed to recall defective rearview cameras in a timely manner.

Last year, it set a record for the number of recalls issued in a single year, though executives have trumpeted industrial reforms to address quality issues and touted a top ranking this year for mass-market brands in JD Power's Initial Quality Study.

Recalls are recognition of a safety risk, and not all defects rise to that level, said Michael Brooks, executive director for the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy nonprofit. A big measure of that is whether vehicles are stalling or being stranded on highways and creating a potential safety risk.

"Their (NHTSA's) main safety focus is not whether the transmissions are failing at historic rates, but essentially is it creating circumstances where the driver or others on the road's safety are being put at risk?" Brooks said.

Especially with the transmissions being co-developed by Ford and GM, the products can offer helpful comparison in determining the impact of an issue, Brooks said. Even if a problem doesn't rise to the level of a recall, automakers also could evaluate extended warranties and covering repairs for known issues. It's a decision that can require balancing cost with consumer experience.

"Manufacturers," Brooks said, "might be better off simply addressing it under warranty or helping their customers out."

©2026 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.