Transmission shudder

[Bullett]

I complained to the rep at Ford again and they're sending the field engineer out to actually drive my truck next Wednesday. I'll follow up again after that. The Ford rep also resubmitted the buyback request today so hopefully if I don't get anywhere with the field engineer I'll have a backup plan.

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[Dadofjax]

I complained to the rep at Ford again and they're sending the field engineer out to actually drive my truck next Wednesday. I'll follow up again after that. The Ford rep also resubmitted the buyback request today so hopefully if I don't get anywhere with the field engineer I'll have a backup plan.

You should reach out to a lemon law lawyer in your state. In my state it didnt cost anything out of pocket for me for my issue. It went pretty fast too and I was pretty happy with my results.

My main issue was not this shudder though so results may vary. I do have the shutter and been waiting on seeing if people find a solution.

 

[Steamy-829]

I'm currently at the dealership right now waiting. Took the tech for a test drive and he definitely felt this. He actually pointed it out multiple times. He mentioned he be curious if some of these 21s came with the 21B10 update as he said that's what it felt like to him. So I'll update once I hear back.

 

[Bullett]

I got my truck back from the dealer yesterday after taking it for a test drive with a field engineer.
Long story short, he said it's normal and that if I don't like the shuddering I can lockout gear 8-10...

 

[Gearhead2020]

I got my truck back from the dealer yesterday after taking it for a test drive with a field engineer.
Long story short, he said it's normal and that if I don't like the shuddering I can lockout gear 8-10...

That is a horrible response.

 

[Bullett]

That is a horrible response.

I agree. Not too thrilled. The engineer said he put my truck up on a lift to look at the undercarriage as well. Said he had it up there for a while looking around. I'm not sure if they even did that. My truck was covered in ice from a recent ice storm and my front bumper had icicles hanging down. When I left the dealership I purposely stuck one under my front tire in a manner I'd be able to tell if my truck was moved. Well when I got back that icicle was in the same exact spot and nothing had melted from my truck. Their garage bays are heated...

 

[AnimalMother]

I got my truck back from the dealer yesterday after taking it for a test drive with a field engineer.
Long story short, he said it's normal and that if I don't like the shuddering I can lockout gear 8-10...

Were you riding with the Field Engineer when he was testing it?

 

[Bullett]

Were you riding with the Field Engineer when he was testing it?

So the field engineer and one of the service department employees came with me while I drove the truck. While the shudder was present the engineer was watching my speedo and logging the mphs and gear the truck was in. He told me he felt the truck shuddering.
Their response was that the truck is trying to get the best fuel economy possible and that the shudder is a result of the transmission going into the overdrive gears (8-10). Their words were if I want a more comfortable ride I can lockout the overdrive gears and that this is the price we pay for fuel economy...

 

[LHoffmanjr22]

I have had my Powerboost for about 500 miles, and I can say that the shudder I felt at first has decreased significantly from when I first got it. I still feel it every now and then, but its much less pronounced and doesn't happen as frequently. I still think it shouldn't do it at all for any truck, but its interesting that is has decreased in my case.

I wouldn't accept the answer you got at all though. You should be able to drive the truck as designed, and it shouldn't be designed to feel like that. If it was, someone messed up and they need to make it right. Locking out gears so the truck drives smoothly is obviously a ridiculous solution.

 

[Gearhead2020]

So the field engineer and one of the service department employees came with me while I drove the truck. While the shudder was present the engineer was watching my speedo and logging the mphs and gear the truck was in. He told me he felt the truck shuddering.
Their response was that the truck is trying to get the best fuel economy possible and that the shudder is a result of the transmission going into the overdrive gears (8-10). Their words were if I want a more comfortable ride I can lockout the overdrive gears and that this is the price we pay for fuel economy...

Fuel Economy? Fuel economy has basically been the same for the last 30 years. Where is the data for better fuel economy? They act like the trucks get 30 to 40 MPG. I got 14 to 15 MPG in the early 90's.

 

[AnimalMother]

So the field engineer and one of the service department employees came with me while I drove the truck. While the shudder was present the engineer was watching my speedo and logging the mphs and gear the truck was in. He told me he felt the truck shuddering.
Their response was that the truck is trying to get the best fuel economy possible and that the shudder is a result of the transmission going into the overdrive gears (8-10). Their words were if I want a more comfortable ride I can lockout the overdrive gears and that this is the price we pay for fuel economy...

Can't say I like that answer. I'd ask for a better explanation. Specifics of what causes it in 8-10. Do they even say it's transmission related?

 

[Bullett]

Oh believe me I pushed harder about how a shaking feature being designed into a truck doesn't make any sense and that's when one of the service employees said well that's the price we pay for fuel economy. It's shifting to a higher gear as quickly as possible and lugging to keep the rpms and subsequently the fuel use down. I said I'd rather pay a little bit more for gas than to have my truck constantly shake. I didn't buy a truck for fuel economy, I bought it tow shit, like my snowmobile and trailer. They bluntly said that this issue will not be looked into any further.
Maybe it's the way I drive. I don't beat my vehicles. When I need to get up to speed I get there gradually. I don't stomp my pedal everywhere to keep the truck in a lower gear, and that was one of the engineers suggestions; to give it more throttle when it's shuddering. But what happens when I'm behind someone and the truck starts shaking and giving it more throttle isn't an option? Should I completely let off the gas just to slowdown and wait for the gap to significantly increase so I can then force the truck into say 6th gear and go like a bat out of hell? It makes no sense to me. I have several friends who have F150s and I have driven theirs (2018 3.5 Eco ,19 2.7 Eco and 20 Coyote) and I could not replicate the shudder on any of those trucks.
Part of me believes that Ford is aware of the issue but isn't sure how to fix it, or the fix would be cost prohibitive.
Ford is going to comp me an ESP with no out of pocket cost to me. I got a 75k mile 6 year ESP as a goodwill gesture. Hopefully before my truck hits 75k miles this will be figured out. Otherwise I'll run it to that point with the gears locked out and dump it. If that happens I'll be switching to a different brand of truck.

 

[Bullett]

It's funny because I'm remembering one of the service techs saying it was annoying to drive like that and that if more people complain to Ford about it maybe they'll develop a fix sooner.

 

[Steamy-829]

So, I got mine back and they said it is a characteristic of the truck. They had me take a brand new 2022 with 10 miles on it (3.5 ecoboost) and I felt the same thing on the low rpm shudder like it's holding a gear too long. But I didn't get the same higher ram vibration/shudder that we are experiencing in mine. Mine is definitely RPM related and goes away as soon as you leave off the throttle. They are submitting a hot line request on this issue.

 

[AnimalMother]

I just read through 100+ other posts about this issue on other forums. No one seems to have resolved it fully. Most go to the dealer where they try different things until the dealer gives up and says this is "normal behavior." Some say it's resolved by resetting the "learned" shift tables but that only helps for a few weeks. One guy said the tech at his dealership has the same truck and the same issue. So he just does the reset at every oil change. I guess he knows there is no fix. Have you tried the reset? (Sorry if you already mentioned it)

Could it be they use this programming to meet their claimed MPG. That's what the "learned" behavior stuff is all about?

https://www.f150forum.com/f129/shudder-jerking-issue-when-accelerating-508814/

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