A lawsuit has been filed against Ford in Canada by Charney Lawyers, who claim “significant operational issues” with the 10-speed automatic gearbox in the F-150 pickup truck and other models. The class-action suit targets both the Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company of Canada.
The lawsuit, filed in Vancouver, highlights problems with the 10-speed transmission, particularly the ’10 R80′ variant. The transmission is reported to experience “unintended lunging” and, in some cases, upshifts or downshifts that were not initiated by the driver—two of five issues raised by Canadian owners of select Ford models.
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Lawsuit Targets F-150, Mustang, Ranger, and Lincoln Navigator; Ford “Inundated” by Claims
The legal action targets 2017-2018 models of the Ford Expedition, Mustang, Ranger, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator, all equipped with the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission. Key complaints include:
- Unintended lunging when shifting from park to drive.
- Shimmying and shuddering while in motion.
- Difficulty shifting gears.
- Premature wear of clutch plates and transmission components.
- Sudden gearshift that has not be indicated by the driver.
This action reportedly began after Ford Canada was “inundated” with complaints following the transmission’s introduction in 2017. However, Ford Canada only began investigating the issues after receiving 11 customer complaints.
Ironically, simulations during development suggested that an overly wide gear ratio spread between the first and tenth gears could harm the transmission’s performance.
This legal action has prompted an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States. The NHTSA estimates that up to 1.3 million Ford vehicles could be affected, with particular attention given to “unexpected downshifting incidents” in 2015-2017 F-150 models, though no specific details about these incidents have been released.
Further information on the Charney Lawyers legal action and how to file a similar complaint can be found here.
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A Ford and General Motors Joint Venture
Introduced in 2017, the 10-speed automatic transmission, including the ‘10 R80’ variant, was a joint venture between Ford and General Motors, with Ford taking the engineering lead. This partnership followed their earlier collaboration on a nine-speed transverse automatic gearbox for front-wheel-drive vehicles, which would eventually be used in models like the Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Terrain, and Cadillac XT6.
Ironically, simulations during development suggested that an overly wide gear ratio spread between the first and tenth gears could harm the transmission’s performance. To counter this, the 10-speed gear ratios were narrowed, even more so than Porsche’s PDK seven-speed on the Panamera and the nine-speed ZF on the Jeep Cherokee, resulting in smoother power transfer and better performance.
Capable of handling torque capacities of at least 650-pound-feet, the new ‘10 R80’ variant was first featured in high-profile models like the Ford F-150 and the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It was later introduced in the Mustang, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and even the Ford Police Interceptor in 2019.
Source: Charney Lawyers