Major transmission problems at 5,000 miles

[FirstFactoryOrder]

Have them check the trans fluid level; some have been known to leave the factory a quart or two low.

That was the first thing I did, before I brought it to the dealer.

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[FirstFactoryOrder]

Update: Dealer tech and manager both test drove and noticed issues after the latest software update, and they have "escalated" to Ford's tech support. That was a week ago. No news yet.

I also ordered a "BlueDriver" ODB-II scanner, but not only did the bluetooth from my phone note synch with the device, but the device kept falling out of my ODB port, which is at an angle. I need it to work while driving, and that wasn't possible (as soon as I hit a bump the BlueDriver fell off).

I will provide an update once I hear back from the dealer. If I don't hear back from the dealer, I will try contacting Ford directly.

 

[SnyperX]

Update: Dealer tech and manager both test drove and noticed issues after the latest software update, and they have "escalated" to Ford's tech support. That was a week ago. No news yet.

I also ordered a "BlueDriver" ODB-II scanner, but not only did the bluetooth from my phone note synch with the device, but the device kept falling out of my ODB port, which is at an angle. I need it to work while driving, and that wasn't possible (as soon as I hit a bump the BlueDriver fell off).

I will provide an update once I hear back from the dealer. If I don't hear back from the dealer, I will try contacting Ford directly.

If it keeps falling out, I'd tape in place while you drive with it in to get the needed data grab. I don't drive with mine in.

 

[Johnnypedals]

Update: Dealer tech and manager both test drove and noticed issues after the latest software update, and they have "escalated" to Ford's tech support. That was a week ago. No news yet.

I also ordered a "BlueDriver" ODB-II scanner, but not only did the bluetooth from my phone note synch with the device, but the device kept falling out of my ODB port, which is at an angle. I need it to work while driving, and that wasn't possible (as soon as I hit a bump the BlueDriver fell off).

I will provide an update once I hear back from the dealer. If I don't hear back from the dealer, I will try contacting Ford directly.

Any update? Hopefully they are getting you sorted. Mine is getting a new transmission as we speak. 2025 STX with only 1600 miles.

 

[FirstFactoryOrder]

Thanks for following up Johnnypedals. The dealer says they have indicated the problems to Ford, but the drive train is not throwing any codes, so Ford says they don't have a fix. I am escalating the issue directly with Ford, and hoping they will do something. We shall see. We had a transmission in my wife's car years ago that behaved the same way, and eventually it failed completely. I'm anticipating my Ranger's will do the same, as it is getting worse by the day: current mpg is 15.3; hard downshifting and upshifting across multiple gears now; loss-of-power (i.e. hitting accelerator and nothing happens) across multiple gears now. So yeah, it's just a matter of time. My worry is, what if this misbehavior causes an accident where I am determined to be "at fault...?"

In any case, glad to hear you're getting a replacement. I'll circle back to this thread once I hear back from Ford....

 

[Canuck]

Thanks DutchRanger. In my original post I asked about ways to document these problems for the dealership, since they can't easily be replicated. I'm hoping folks will have some ideas for that.

Why? Because the loss-of-power issue almost resulted in an accident the other day. I didn't give all the details but basically I couldn't accelerate around someone who was backing out of a parking lot -- and if I had just stopped they would have T-boned me. I avoided collision by swinging wide and they hit their brakes just in time to stop. If I could have accelerated I could have easily moved past them (even if they hadn't braked in time).

So..."hanging in there" is not an option - especially if family members are in the vehicle.

I have had the exact same issue. I was almost side swiped turning left. The car turning left in front of me entered the intersection so I quickly took their position to turn left but did not fully stop and then hit the gas when the coast was cleared. The transmission paused for a few seconds and then engaged with a thump. This is a common issue for me when accelerating to get into a position to turn and it happens when I don't come to a full stop, close to stopping but not full stop, and then hit the gas again. I believe it is still in first gear when this happens. I will spend time monitoring the rpms to see if I can describe the pattern. Obviously this is the most serious of the problems with this transmission: the other is the clunking into first when decelerating and awkward lunge into gears when accelerating. Up to this point dealer says all normal. My build was May 2024 XLT.

 

[FirstFactoryOrder]

Canuck yes that's exactly the same issue I'm having for sure. It's pretty devastating to me that Ford calls this unsafe condition "normal"... it's mind boggling and off-putting. I am also starting to have additional issues at higher gears (with the strong "thuds" happening while both upshifting and downshifting at higher speeds), and my gas mileage is now consistently down to an average of 14 MPG.

The irony here is that I considered buying a Chevy Colorado instead last year, but ruled it out because a) it got worse estimated gas mileage than the Ranger, and b) previous years of that model have had such consistent transmission problems. LOL! I mean...when I think about those reasons and what I'm going through now with my Ranger, I just have to laugh and shake my head. What a ridiculous situation.

As an update, I did try to file a service claim with Ford directly, but they said "if the dealer can't fix it, we can't create a claim." Huh? So I called the dealer service manager back, and he said, "If Ford doesn't have a fix yet, then we can't fix it." That service manager recommended I keep driving the truck until things go so bad that it wasn't derivable. I guess after this issue causes an accident I'll have my Ranger towed to the dealer. "So here you go, some proof it got worse!" Except...of course...there is no way to prove that the transmission caused the accident, because I've now discovered ***it doesn't throw any ODB codes when it misbehaves.*** Wow.

The question I'm now wondering about is whether Ford is just going to wait until there is a class action lawsuit for the 10R60 like there was for the 10R80. Jeesh. What a travesty.

 

[AlloyPony]

The irony here is that I considered buying a Chevy Colorado instead last year, but ruled it out because a) it got worse estimated gas mileage than the Ranger, and b) previous years of that model have had such consistent transmission problems. LOL!

You want to hear something wild? The transmissions in these Fords and Chevys are from the same design. The two companies worked together on them. And they share the same problem: cheap interior parts, particularly the valve body.

That's why GM is having such rampant issues with transmission failures and driveability concerns...to the point where Allison just this week announced they are discontinuing their relationship with GM (because GM licenses the Allison brand name to use on the 10 speed transmission and they are failing constantly due to inferior valve bodies).

Ford hasn't had *as* many issues with the 10 speed, but they do still have a lot of issues.

This is why I have avoided the 10 speeds over the years. They've never been sorted out yet. Good luck. Your 10 speed will never shift correctly until a quality valve body is installed, and you will not get Ford to do that under warranty. It's a shame. The guys at Next Gen Drivetrain can explain in detail. (No, I don't have any affiliation with them at all.)

 

[Jason B]

You want to hear something wild? The transmissions in these Fords and Chevys are from the same design. The two companies worked together on them. And they share the same problem: cheap interior parts, particularly the valve body.

That's why GM is having such rampant issues with transmission failures and driveability concerns...to the point where Allison just this week announced they are discontinuing their relationship with GM (because GM licenses the Allison brand name to use on the 10 speed transmission and they are failing constantly due to inferior valve bodies).

Ford hasn't had *as* many issues with the 10 speed, but they do still have a lot of issues.

This is why I have avoided the 10 speeds over the years. They've never been sorted out yet. Good luck. Your 10 speed will never shift correctly until a quality valve body is installed, and you will not get Ford to do that under warranty. It's a shame. The guys at Next Gen Drivetrain can explain in detail. (No, I don't have any affiliation with them at all.)

Blatantly false. Several members on the 5G forum had valve bodies replaced, CDF drums replaced, and even transmissions replaced all under warranty. You'll just have to prove to them it's a problem. A tough egg to crack if it's not easily repeatable.

 

[Canuck]

Canuck yes that's exactly the same issue I'm having for sure. It's pretty devastating to me that Ford calls this unsafe condition "normal"... it's mind boggling and off-putting. I am also starting to have additional issues at higher gears (with the strong "thuds" happening while both upshifting and downshifting at higher speeds), and my gas mileage is now consistently down to an average of 14 MPG.

The irony here is that I considered buying a Chevy Colorado instead last year, but ruled it out because a) it got worse estimated gas mileage than the Ranger, and b) previous years of that model have had such consistent transmission problems. LOL! I mean...when I think about those reasons and what I'm going through now with my Ranger, I just have to laugh and shake my head. What a ridiculous situation.

As an update, I did try to file a service claim with Ford directly, but they said "if the dealer can't fix it, we can't create a claim." Huh? So I called the dealer service manager back, and he said, "If Ford doesn't have a fix yet, then we can't fix it." That service manager recommended I keep driving the truck until things go so bad that it wasn't derivable. I guess after this issue causes an accident I'll have my Ranger towed to the dealer. "So here you go, some proof it got worse!" Except...of course...there is no way to prove that the transmission caused the accident, because I've now discovered ***it doesn't throw any ODB codes when it misbehaves.*** Wow.

The question I'm now wondering about is whether Ford is just going to wait until there is a class action lawsuit for the 10R60 like there was for the 10R80. Jeesh. What a travesty.

Like you I went with Ford instead of Chevy because of the gas mileage (and other factors) but can never hit the combined highway/city mpg, as I suspect the transmission clunkiness and delays in shifting are to blame. I have been having issues since 6 months of delivery and it is getting worse. Likely valve related - a stickiness of sorts. In terms of repeatability, if I stop suddenly, the first gear will "thud" and when I accelerate quickly for a second and then brake slightly and hit the gas again, the transmission will pause as if it lost power. When I get time I will go to an empty parking lot and document the rpms and gearing to take to the dealer. Otherwise I can enjoy this truck only on the highway where it is not shifting gears!

 

[MHPit]

Any updates from the OP, firstfactoryorder? Or are you still just “driving it til failure”?

 

[Bronze Monkey]

I just had the valve body replaced in my 2024 XLT - was also have a heated seat issue fixed so I haven't picked it up yet, but I'm not excited about continuing to have rough shifting issues and no throttle response. Considering trading it in ASAP as I'm expecting future issues, but I really love the truck. @FirstFactoryOrder - I'll let you know if the new valve body resolved my issues.

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