AI Damage2018 Ford F-150: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Ford F-150 filed 92 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. The maker issued 230 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 92
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 230
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 72% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 2% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 2% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 2% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 66 complaints (72% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 57.
- Engine: 17 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (5% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 65.
- Structure: 2 complaints (2% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 12.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 92 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 66 | 0 | 57 |
| Engine | 17 | 0 | 4 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 65 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 54 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
This caused the Check Engine light to appear within 24hrs showing code P0430. There were NO codes showing and the Check Engine light was not on before the recall was performed. Ford is denying responsibility and charging me $2,500+ out of pocket to replace the converter.
Not fixing the issue can cause engine failure. My truck has 47k miles on it. I [dealer] XXX to file a compliant and nothing happened. I took my truck to Germain Ford in [XXX] to get a diagnostic done October 5,2026 and they said it was the VVT cam phasers.
Premature transmission failure under 45k miles. While driving transmission will not shift gears causing the vehicle to stall and then suddenly engaging propulsing the vehicle forward unexpectedly. Multiple complaints online, Ford will not fix.
Drivability is not the same has hesitation. So far, and I'm sure it's going to get worse. Check engine light just went on last week. This truck is at dealership now. My biggest problem with this situation is Ford. Dealer lied said they put in new cam phasers, which they put in old ones.
On multiple occasions while traveling approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power/propulsion. During these events, the gear indicator changed from 10th to 1st and engine RPM appeared to increase. I do not believe the transmission physically engaged 1st gear; the actual gear engaged is UNKNOWN.
One dealership diagnosed the issue, charging $100 and determined it was the door latch and offered to replace it ($472 for the latch and labor to be determined). I opted not to repair it thinking that the problem should be further diagnosed to determine if there are flaws in factory parts that create safety issues in…
Transmission would go from 7th gear to 1st gear causing stalling in busy traffic. Also the truck would be stuck at 7th gear when coming to a stop light and when the light turned green would not shift down to one which caused a power loss.
While driving my brakes went from normal, to squishy, to total loss of brakes. Brake indicator light came on while in the squishy phase. After avoid collision by nothing other than sure luck I was able to slow the vehicle and use the emergency brake to stop.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 614 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the F-150 has 35 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 92, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- 25E10-S1 Owner letter
- NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150…
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-2019 Model Year Explorer, Taurus, and Flex Vehicles With 3.5L Engines Powertrain…
- Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest…
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines…
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
- For 20172026 vehicles equipped with a 10R transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure…
For 20172026 vehicles equipped with a 10R transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, located in Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing. This updated procedure improves the…
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless…
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
- Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped With 3.3L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM)…
- Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles…
Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles Transmission Control Assembly Reimbursement
- This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected…
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently…
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure
Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns …
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes…
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
- Reason for update
update the Part List Description. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * Harsh engagement * Delayed engagement * Harsh shift * Delayed shift *…
NHTSA lists 230 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ford F-150?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, service brakes. Total complaints: 92. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (22%), transmission slipping (21%), warning lights, check engine (21%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Ford F-150?
NHTSA lists 230 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Ford F-150 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.