Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from under the floorboards. The contact was towing a 16-foot dump trailer with an approximate load of 16,000 lbs. during the failure. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stopped the vehicle and inspected the rear of the vehicle and became aware that the rear of the drive shaft was hanging down and touching the road surface. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the rear axle housing had failed, causing the driveshaft to shear off. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the transmission was slipping. The contact wait for a while before the vehicle responded as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to three other local dealers: DeSoto Ford (3039 SE Hwy 70, Arcadia, FL 34266); McDonald Ford (6790 Midland Rd., Freeland, MI 48623); and Richardson Ford (3781 S Huron Rd., Standish, MI 48658), and was made aware of TSB: SSM 51420; and that the vehicle was working as designed. The contact was informed that engine oil was moving into the torque converter and needed to warm up for proper operation. The mechanic informed the contact to let the vehicle run for a while before shifting into gear. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the mechanic informed the contact that a small amount of fluid had leaked from the front differential. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal metallic and whining sound coming from the front driver's side of the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while at a stop and attempting to accelerate, the RPMs rapidly increased, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended and experienced a loss of motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
My 2021 Ford F-250 equipped with the 10R140 10-speed transmission suffered a sudden internal failure around ~100,000 miles. The failure symptoms and internal damage match the defect Ford acknowledged in Safety Recall 22V-256, which applies to the 2020 F-250/F-350 trucks using the same 10R140 transmission. Despite identical symptoms and the same transmission design, my VIN [redacted] ) was excluded from the recall. NHTSA's VIN decoder also returned an "ambiguous model year" notice, suggesting this vehicle may have been built during the transition period where Ford continued using the same defective 10R140 components. Symptoms experienced prior to failure included harsh shifting, delayed engagement, gear slipping, and eventual loss of drive. A transmission shop stated they "won't touch these transmissions" due to known issues. …
Purchased a 2021 F250 brand new from dealership and have had serviced at dealer since new. This truck is equipt with the 10r140 transmission that is a known problem. Starting at 48K miles transmission slipped from 3-5 gear. Report to Mooresville Ford and they "drove" the truck 6 miles and stated they could not recreate the slip. Reported again to Mooresville Ford at ~78k, technician drove vehicle for 12 miles and documented a slight slip between 3-5 but Ford declined to take action and extended warranty to 100k. Reported again at ~96k to Mooresville Ford, dealership held truck for 8 days and drove 6 miles. Declined again to take action and extended warranty to 146k. …
Hi. I took my 2021 f250 6,7 to the ford dealership as it was having trouble starting, and just wasn't running great. They changed the batteries, and told me it was a NOX sensor. So I went and got my truck to fix the sensors myself; because they wanted to charge me close to 3 grand. The next day I got up, lo and behold it wouldn't crank. I had to have it towed back to the dealership. I tested codes before I had it towed, and took a video of it not cranking. The following codes showed. P2291 PCM - Injector Ctrl Press Too Low - Engine Cranking P2209 PCM - NOx Sens Heater Sense Circ Range/Perf Bank 1 Sens 1 U029D PCM - Lost Comm With NOx Sensor A P2535 PCM - Ignition Switch On/Start Pos Circ High U300A BCM - Ignition Switch It's been in the shop a week , they called Friday saying it was starting, and there was nothing wrong with it. …
The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power and became inoperable due to failure of the high-pressure fuel system. This VIN is subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA 24V957 / Ford 24S78) addressing high-pressure fuel pump failure that can result in loss of motive power while driving. Prior to failure, the vehicle exhibited reduced engine performance and drivability issues consistent with fuel system malfunction. No Water-In-Fuel warning or alert was displayed prior to the failure. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Ford dealership. Ford and the dealership asserted "fuel contamination" as the cause and refused to repair the vehicle under the recall or warranty unless the customer paid for diagnostic teardown. The recall repair was not performed. The vehicle remains unrepaired and was removed from the dealership. …
Dear staff; I purchased my 2021 Ford F-250 new July 25th, 2021. I noticed my undercarriage was covered in great portions of rust. The front driveshaft to the outer ends and the rear housing, including the rear driveshaft u-joint has a significant amount of rust. What's surprising is I have only 5400 miles and the truck appears to look 20 years old. I have a neighbor who is a GM of another competitor dealership. He crawled under the truck and said this is a safety issue which needs to be addressed. Two Ford dealership Service managers informed over the phone this is a common issue and not to be concerned. I have owned eight Ford pickups throughout my life and never had this deep concern. Knowing this rust has perforated the tie rods, I don't feel safe driving this $60,000 vehicle. My only recourse since Ford won't honor its warranty is for me to trade it in on a GMC. …
The transmission suffers erratic shifting normally between 3rd to 5th, and 9th to 10th gears where it feels as if the transmission goes into neutral when upshifting or downshifting between these gears. But, one issue occurred which has concerned me. After stopping at an intersection, when it was safe to proceed, I moved my foot from the brake to the gas pedal to proceed. The engine revved to higher RPM's, but the truck did not move as if it was in neutral instead of gear. As I looked down at the tachometer, the truck suddenly locked into gear causing the tires to chirp and the truck then lunged forward through the intersection. This was a T intersection where you have to turn right or left. This incident was so harsh and unexpected, it threw me back into my seat. I was able to maintain control and make my turn to the left without going off the end of the road. …
Transmission complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2021 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2021 Ford F-250 SD, 15% of the model year's 166 complaints. The component named most often is driveline › differential unit (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Ford F-250 SD transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2021 Ford F-250 SD, though it has 12 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2021 Ford F-250 SD transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.