Ten-speed automatic: it jerks and clunks, and the maker says this is normal
Typically above 60,000 km. It does not show up on every car.
expensive
severity
above 60,000 km
mileage
2
sources
2 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
The shifting of the ten-speed automatic is harsh: the transmission jerks, bangs, clunks and hesitates between gears. Slipping comes with it, along with late shifts, harsh downshifts, and the transmission sometimes not engaging a gear at all. Among the complaints there is also a sudden loss of power occurring on the motorway.
This is not individual bad luck: in April 2023 a class action was filed over it in the United States, and it covers the Expedition, Mustang, Ranger, F-150 and Navigator built from 2017 onwards which were fitted with this transmission. The fault is reported above 60 000 kilometres.
The most important thing to know is the maker's response. The maker did not issue a recall and did not replace transmissions, but issued technical bulletins instead, and according to the claim it told owners that the abrupt, harsh shifting is normal. No settlement has been reached.
For a buyer this means that the workshop's opinion decides nothing here. On the test drive it is your own experience that counts, and it has to be compared with what a properly working transmission of the same kind can do.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Engines and transmissions
Transmission
10R80
Checklist
Ten-speed automatic: it jerks and clunks, and the maker says this is normal
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
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Sources
How we know
classaction.orgClass Action Filed Over Ford 10R80 Automatic Transmission Problems Linked to Clunky, Harsh ShiftingA proposed class action alleges the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission in certain Ford and Lincoln vehicles is defective in that it can shift harshly and erratically, posing a “potentially life-threatening safety issue.”
What BreaksFord Mustang S550 — All Engines, Problems & Buying Guide (2015–2024)Ford Mustang S550: 64 common defects and weaknesses. 5 engines (Coyote-Gen3, EcoBoost-2.3-Mustang, Duratec-37, Voodoo-5.2-FPC, …), 290–760 hp. Reviews, durability and buying advice 2015–2024.
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.