2018 Transmission Clunking/slamming in gears

[edizzle]

My 6R80 went nuts when my battery failed and i jumped it. Clunking and would not shift right. It fixed itself, after the new battery. The owners manual mentions this issue, part of the ALM-adaptive learn module.

thanks for giving us insight to your completely unrelated issue!! why dont you tell us how you hand crank it from the front bumper!!!!!!!

 

[rjdelp7]

thanks for giving us insight to your completely unrelated issue!! why dont you tell us how you hand crank it from the front bumper!!!!!!!

OK Seinfeld. The newer Ford Expeditions have used a 6R80 or similar 10 speed electronically controlled transmission. How is that completely unrelated? You're just a smart ass 'funny guy'. Probably had a few rings around your eye or need one.

 

[Expedition Dave]

Mine had same problem. Took to dealer Thursday for service and told them about tranny issue. Friday afternoon they call me and tell “it’s definitely a major issue. Something is wrong. We have to tear it down to see what it is “

How often was the problem? I had 2 hard shifts over my trip, and maybe 2 more in the past. This is over 23,000 miles?

 

[mcb345]

Yeah f-150s been having the same issue. From what I’ve heard on their side, it has to do a little with 1) gear hunting 2) being in the newer side and still learning driving style (especially if your driving style isn’t normally slamming it at 70+ mph like an ******* to go around somebody) and also transmission shift strategies which can easily be updated. I believe there is a TSB out for the shifting issues but I feel your pain with having an almost brand new truck sitting on a lot for 2 weeks.

However I’ve also heard that with strategy updates the transmission has to start over learning like it did from day 1, so when they fix it, try to take it easy and it should smooth out. Worst case scenario, grab a tune from 5 star. They will make it a whole other animal

I have a known issue for hard downshifts. Mine will periodically slam in to 4th downshifting when very slowly slowing down.

 

[tweakeraz]

This was the closest post I could find to my recent issue, so rather than starting a new thread, thought I would start here.

Just completed my first major trip, about 6.5hrs of driving. All in all, this thing is great, comfortable, super peppy, great response. Only three issues I had, Sync 3.4 usability, crosswinds that made this thing feel like I was driving an RV, and the tranny. All in all the tranny was unbelievable, until.... Was doing about 82mph, 10th gear, had a semi in the right lane that needed to get over for someone merging on. Car was driving via ACC, slammed on the gas, and had this nasty hard shift that basically shook the car. It found 8th gear and accelerated fine, but it scared the wife it was so bad and frankly, I didn't like it much.

Anyone experience this? Is it normal with this 10speed? Was running in normal 2WD mode, no programming, etc. subsequent slams produce similar responses. Never had issues like this so far, had it since Nov.

5280,

I forgot about this post until now, but I ran into this same thing under almost near identical circumstances. Whole thing shook and it felt like something tried coming through the floorboards. Couldn't duplicate it, but also wasn't excited to try. Haven't had an issue since, but it's always in the back of my mind. Now looking at remainder of posts, gonna definitely keep this at the top of the list for "it's probably gonna happen again".

 

[5280tunage]

5280,

I forgot about this post until now, but I ran into this same thing under almost near identical circumstances. Whole thing shook and it felt like something tried coming through the floorboards. Couldn't duplicate it, but also wasn't excited to try. Haven't had an issue since, but it's always in the back of my mind. Now looking at remainder of posts, gonna definitely keep this at the top of the list for "it's probably gonna happen again".

Yup, I think about it all the time unfortunately. And the fact that the vehicle threw three very random codes that would seem very unrelated within the following few days, and then nothing since is also wierd.

 

[Dirty Evo]

Mine did it multiple times on our 2000 mile road trip (not towing) Had not ever done it before

dealer just called and said “complete transmission failure. All parts arriving tomorrow. Will be done by end of day Monday”. I asked “what exactly broke?” Answer was “the entire transmission internally “. I take that to mean the person on the phone doesn’t know and I will know more when I see the whole work order

She did say this is the first expedition they have seen this with but they have had many F150 with same problem. great. I look forward to many years of non-reliability to enjoy.

In 35 years of driving a LOT of cars, some worked pretty hard towing really heavy or overloaded others abused on a track ... most gone over 100k miles... this is the first transmission I have had fail. Makes me nervous. How often will it fail in future ?

 

[5280tunage]

Holy crud... Mine hasn't done it since, so I'm going to cross my fingers all is okay, but this is nuts...

 

[rjdelp7]

Mine did it multiple times on our 2000 mile road trip (not towing) Had not ever done it before

dealer just called and said “complete transmission failure. All parts arriving tomorrow. Will be done by end of day Monday”. I asked “what exactly broke?” Answer was “the entire transmission internally “. I take that to mean the person on the phone doesn’t know and I will know more when I see the whole work order

She did say this is the first expedition they have seen this with but they have had many F150 with same problem. great. I look forward to many years of non-reliability to enjoy.

In 35 years of driving a LOT of cars, some worked pretty hard towing really heavy or overloaded others abused on a track ... most gone over 100k miles... this is the first transmission I have had fail. Makes me nervous. How often will it fail in future ?

I would want a little more info. Such as: Are they replacing, just the valve body(minor surgery, drop the pan), Rebuilding the tranny, in house or are they replacing the entire transmission with an brand new one? I don't like that she told you "parts arriving". I would not want a rebuild, in any newer vehicle. I would be OK with them replacing the unit. Repairing the valve body, or transmission control module is half assed. I owned a Hyundai Elantra many years ago. I bought is used, cheap from a family member. It was a winter/second car I let someone borrow it. They got it stuck in the snow and blew the transmission. Hyundai to there credit, replaced it under warranty. They said they don't repair them, just swap them.

 

[Cris]

My 18 is in the shop right now for this very issue.

Had other dealer just reset the software and told me to drive it for 500 miles and that the tranny will "fix itself" as it's a learning transmission.

Same problems after the 500 miles: Car shifts harshly out of 1st and every odd gear clunks hard, some more than others and was easy to replicate at the dealer. I also opened a support case with Ford and will know more when they call me back.

 

[Dirty Evo]

Picked mine up from dealer yesterday. After 2weeks. My paperwork is at home and I will post the details later but the general rundown:
Transmission pulled and out on bench. When taken apart they discovered that a bushing (I have to look at report to get name which bushing) had been installed backwards in the factory. That cause it to block a certain pathway / flow for transmission fluid under some conditions. Result being restricted cooling and lubrication which resulted in hot spotting and premature wear on multiple Internal transmission parts (again specifics are in the write up I just don’t have it with me). All damaged items replaced and transmission re-assembled correctly and a flush and something else then bench tested the installed and road tested.

No symptoms now. About $5k in work (all covered under warranty). Seems better than new.

Yikes. Assembled wrong from the factory? Uggh. Apparently quality is not job 1. Probably was the Friday afternoon shift before a 3 day weekend. Just bad luck. I dunno. Weird

 

[rjdelp7]

Picked mine up from dealer yesterday. After 2weeks. My paperwork is at home and I will post the details later but the general rundown:
Transmission pulled and out on bench. When taken apart they discovered that a bushing (I have to look at report to get name which bushing) had been installed backwards in the factory. That cause it to block a certain pathway / flow for transmission fluid under some conditions. Result being restricted cooling and lubrication which resulted in hot spotting and premature wear on multiple Internal transmission parts (again specifics are in the write up I just don’t have it with me). All damaged items replaced and transmission re-assembled correctly and a flush and something else then bench tested the installed and road tested.

No symptoms now. About $5k in work (all covered under warranty). Seems better than new.

Yikes. Assembled wrong from the factory? Uggh. Apparently quality is not job 1. Probably was the Friday afternoon shift before a 3 day weekend. Just bad luck. I dunno. Weird

I had only one transmission fail. When I took it in, the dealer service manager, typed in the VIN. He started laughing. I asked him 'what is so funny'? He said the transmission was fixed once under warranty, by the last owner and by them. Needless to say, he handed me keys to a loaner. I was at 35k, only 1000mi left on the warranty. I would get rid or that Expedition, before that $5000 repair, shows up on a carfax.

 

[TheSpecialMan]

I have a 18 plat expy, 2WD with about 46,000 miles. Noticed the transmission hanging between gears and slamming into the next, mostly around the 4th gear. Eventually got the wrench icon on the dash with a message on FordPass saying "Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power." I took it to my local dealer who advised that as they have the only transmission technician in the metro area and he is very backed up it could be awhile before he gets to it. No loaners available. So two weeks in, the tech still hadn't gotten to it and I needed a vehicle so I took it back but the problem got worse. I spoke to a manager and finally got a loaner so I brought it back in. 4 more weeks go by with me calling/texting about every other day until last week they finally tell me the tech looked at my vehicle but now needs to tear the transmission down to see what is broken and they'll get back to me once he's done that and know what parts are needed. Still waiting.
It's hard not to come to the conclusion that Ford will make any type of warranty repair as painful as possible so that I'll just leave and get it repaired somewhere else out of my pocket.
And that assumes this will even end up being covered under the powertrain warranty as I didn't purchase an extended bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Sorry for the rant but I think I'm going back to Chevy after this one.

 

[cfldad]

I don’t think chevy is any better.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Does anyone know if the 2019’s are an better in this regard? I am getting some serious clunking going on when shifting is happening, seems to be worse in stop and go traffic.

 

[texevora]

So apparently this is a much more common issue than I thought. Not sure how i missed this thread when I created a separate one on the same issue earlier this week (https://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/transmission-popping-out-of-gear.48342/#post-444636).

When I dropped my car at the local dealership yesterday, he said they had 3 others with the exact same issue in. My coworker who also owns a 2019 Expedition said his just started doing the same thing as well, with similar mileage (low 40s).

Hope this is is handled quickly. Given that this seems like a pretty common (and major) issue, and the prevalence of cam phaser issues, I have to think warranty claims on this generation of Expeditions is costing Ford a pretty penny.

 

[ChrisInAustinTX]

I thought I’d come and join the fun. Our 2020 has almost 30,000 miles and for about the past year we have had a horrible clunk (like a sledge hammer hitting the floor under the truck) occasionally when downshifting into 8th. We also get it in third as well. Often times in the morning shifting from park to drive shakes the entire truck like someone rear ended us. It sounds like I should get this into the dealer when they have a loaner available…

 

[FlyBry]

I thought I’d come and join the fun. Our 2020 has almost 30,000 miles and for about the past year we have had a horrible clunk (like a sledge hammer hitting the floor under the truck) occasionally when downshifting into 8th. We also get it in third as well. Often times in the morning shifting from park to drive shakes the entire truck like someone rear ended us. It sounds like I should get this into the dealer when they have a loaner available…

Yes, CIATX, that is not normal behavior for the 10R80. The false neutral gear slam on downshift is really ******* u-joints. Time to schedule with your dealership.

 

[ChrisInAustinTX]

YouTube video of me going from park to drive I thought this video would be helpful for others to see. Let me know if anyone has any other comments before I take it into the dealer next week!

 

[mightyexpy]

I have a 2019 AWD with 24k miles.
Started to notice in the morning shifting into reverse it clunks very hard, but all other gears seem fine. Is this a sign of worse things to come?