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.
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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.
What to check
- On the test drive have it shift all the way through: it should not jerk, bang or hesitate between gears
- Watch the downshifts when slowing: a harsh downshift belongs here
- Pull away from a standstill several times: the transmission should engage a gear without delay