Hard downshifting at lower speeds

[kjm7217]

I have a 2025 XLT 2.0 EB with the 8F35. There are about 14k miles about 70% highway miles. I’ve browsed the forum and Reddit and have been reading a lot of 8F35 horror stories. When I am slowing down, either braking or letting it coast, I’ll normally hear a thud during the down shift at ~20 mph. Is this a general shared experience by all or is it a common non-feature designed by Ford to facilitate expensive transmission replacements? I planned on doing my first tranny fluid drain/fill at 15k miles.

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[Cherokee]

I’ve never heard a peep out of my 2024 AWD Ecoboost. 18,500 miles now.
I’ll service mine @ 50,000

 

[OleFordGuy]

If its enough to be concerning to you, I think I would take it to your dealer and let them check it before you make the first fluid change - just to not let them have an excuse that you did it wrong type thing. I can say I've never experience hearing a thud or hard down shift in my MY22, I think the MY25-26 have an updated transmission, seems I've read something being different, could be wrong. As far as horror stories on the internet, there's probably a small percentage that is accurate but there's a whole lot of just trashing something for no reason and then there's a large percentage that don't take care of anything, rarely any maintenance, run the dog out of it and then complain to the world that its a POS.

 

[kjm7217]

The 2025 EB was redesigned. The Transmission wasn’t, but the redesigned engine does have a very small decrease in torque (2 ft-lbs)

 

[Pointyears]

I have a 2025 XLT 2.0 EB with the 8F35. There are about 14k miles about 70% highway miles. I’ve browsed the forum and Reddit and have been reading a lot of 8F35 horror stories. When I am slowing down, either braking or letting it coast, I’ll normally hear a thud during the down shift at ~20 mph. Is this a general shared experience by all or is it a common non-feature designed by Ford to facilitate expensive transmission replacements? I planned on doing my first tranny fluid drain/fill at 15k miles.

I had the same transmission in a '22 Escape and I could feel it downshifting when slowing down. Never had a tranny where I could do that.

 

[kjm7217]

I had the same transmission in a '22 Escape and I could feel it downshifting when slowing down. Never had a tranny where I could do that.

Have you ever had it looked at? Did it start at a certain mileage? I’m still well within the warranty period but I’d rather the truck not be a $30k mistake.

I will probably reset the TCM and see if that changes anything.

 

[sweetbete]

My 23 Ecoboost AWD came from the factory with 4 qt ATF (~3/4 qt low). It regularly shifted very rough and slipped ~15-20 mph when cold. After drain & fill at 19,000 mi it never occurred again. At 56k mi now with no more transmission problems.

 

[RLmesc]

Are you in "Sport" mode? I usually switch to that unless we have snow or cold rain. I like the quicker and more aggressive downshifts... longer upshifts and wish they'd put in paddle shifters to let me decide but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[MavStangVa]

If you have AWD there are many threads about the thunk or thud that happens at about 13 mph. Mine has not done it or if it does it is so minor I don't know it.

 

[Chops]

If you have AWD there are many threads about the thunk or thud that happens at about 13 mph. Mine has not done it or if it does it is so minor I don't know it.

There are many cases of the Hybrid low speed thunk and a few examples on the EB.

There are different causes, however. The Hybrid’s thunk is still an unsolved mystery - while the EB thunk is the auto trans downshifting with a blip of rev matching.

When I drive a manual (no longer) and approach a stoplight in 4th gear say - I’ll leave it in 4th as I brake and shift into neutral as I stop.

Our EB’s will downshift from 4th to 3rd to 2nd to 1st as we come to a gradual stop. Engine braking. (Can be done with the manual trans (any many do) but I prefer to use the brakes instead of engine to slow my car down. Brake pads are made for that purpose).

Anyway, sometimes our EB’s will downshift less than smoothly when coming to a gradual stop. I drive my Lobo up shifting with the paddles in Sport Mode - but let the ECU/TCU downshift automatically when I reduce speed.

In Sport Mode the revs jump as the ECU/TCU downshifts through the gears. In Lobo Mode the revs really jump. Sounds cool but probably not great for the transmission

Edit - To the OP… feeling the trans downshift and hearing it thunk as it downshifts is different. I’m going to change my trans fluid early like you suggest. I have a 25 also. Redesign engine & ECU/TCU but original trans…

 

[ZeroDay]

Are you in "Sport" mode? I usually switch to that unless we have snow or cold rain. I like the quicker and more aggressive downshifts... longer upshifts and wish they'd put in paddle shifters to let me decide but I'm not holding my breath.

Just put paddles on it. It's not a very hard modification.

 

[MavStangVa]

There are many cases of the Hybrid low speed thunk and a few examples on the EB.

There are different causes, however. The Hybrid’s thunk is still an unsolved mystery - while the EB thunk is the auto trans downshifting with a blip of rev matching.

When I drive a manual (no longer) and approach a stoplight in 4th gear say - I’ll leave it in 4th as I brake and shift into neutral as I stop.

Our EB’s will downshift from 4th to 3rd to 2nd to 1st as we come to a gradual stop. Engine braking. (Can be done with the manual trans (any many do) but I prefer to use the brakes instead of engine to slow my car down. Brake pads are made for that purpose).

Anyway, sometimes our EB’s will downshift less than smoothly when coming to a gradual stop. I drive my Lobo up shifting with the paddles in Sport Mode - but let the ECU/TCU downshift automatically when I reduce speed.

In Sport Mode the revs jump as the ECU/TCU downshifts through the gears. In Lobo Mode the revs really jump. Sounds cool but probably not great for the transmission

Edit - To the OP… feeling the trans downshift and hearing it thunk as it downshifts is different. I’m going to change my trans fluid early like you suggest. I have a 25 also. Redesign engine & ECU/TCU but original trans…

Many many comments from EB owners about the thunk at 13 mph if they have AWD. As I said mine does not do it. I simply was suggesting to the OP that may be what he is experiencing. Thanks for the information on paddle shifters. I did notice this winter more feeling of the down shifts but not enough to suggest an issue, just cold fluids.

 

[kjm7217]

If you have AWD there are many threads about the thunk or thud that happens at about 13 mph. Mine has not done it or if it does it is so minor I don't know it.

I stumbled across those posts and had the TC off for my commute to work today. I didn’t notice any thudding sounds. I’m going to continue doing that to confirm. I’ll have plenty of opportunities during the rubber necking that happens every post work rush hour…

 

[kjm7217]

I’ve driven for a couple days with the Tc off and that did in fact get rid of the sound. On one hand, I’m glad it’s not the tranny, on the other hand, Ford engineers just decided to make an AWD clutch/actuator that self destructs after a while?

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