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2018 Ford F-150 problems, complaints & recalls

Far more Falling

NHTSA has received 1,890 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford F-150, or 217.9 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 5.18, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #71 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Ford models its rate is 300% higher; against other Full-size pickups it is 122% higher.

Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count

Complaints filed between 2017-12-19 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 14 days.

1,890Complaints
217.9Complaints per year on the road
5.18Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
19Recalls
3.8%Share involving a crash or fire
55Last 12 months

Analysis

The following model year (2019) drew 128.7 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 337 complaints, 278% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (33.1% of complaints), followed by Engine (27.8%) and Body & structure (14.2%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 2.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Transmission / powertrain reports, owners most often mention “transmission”, “gear”, “shifting”, “shifts” and “hard”. 72 reports (3.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 45 injuries and 3 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 60 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (49% of incidents). In the last 12 months 55 new complaints were filed, versus 484 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.

NHTSA lists 19 safety recalls for this model year. 91% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Low-pressure fuel pump failure” (opened 2024-07-29, closed 2025-09-19).

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles5.18
  • vs. other Ford models4.0
  • vs. other 2018 models4.44
  • vs. other Full-size pickups2.22
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (337)3.78
  • #71 of 73 · 2018Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 2018217.9 per year5.18
  • 2019128.7 per year3.06
  • 202080.6 per year1.92
  • 2021219.5 per year5.22
  • 2022125.0 per year2.97
  • 2023110.0 per year2.61
  • 202481.1 per year1.93
  • 202571.1 per year1.69

Ford F-150 problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Transmission / powertrain625 · 33.1% · 2.85×
  • Engine526 · 27.8% · 1.25×
  • Body & structure269 · 14.2% · 1.55×
  • Interior & equipment120 · 6.3% · 0.7×
  • Electrical105 · 5.6% · 0.36×
  • Brakes59 · 3.1% · 0.51×
  • Steering58 · 3.1% · 0.48×
  • Wheels, tires & suspension47 · 2.5% · 1.0×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Transmission / powertrain · Common terms in reports

  • transmission493
  • gear324
  • shifting201
  • shifts108
  • hard134
  • speed200

Engine · Common terms in reports

  • cam187
  • phasers133
  • engine356
  • rattling107
  • sound151
  • hotline104

Body & structure · Common terms in reports

  • latch111
  • door140
  • closed70
  • freezing47
  • open87
  • tailgate37

Problem areas: Transmission / powertrain · Engine · Body & structure · Electrical · Interior & equipment · Brakes · Lighting · Fuel system · Wheels, tires & suspension · Steering · Driver-assist systems · Airbags & seat belts

When complaints were filed

2017: 1 1 2017 2018: 106 106 2018 2019: 230 230 2019 2020: 164 164 2020 2021: 129 129 2021 2022: 185 185 2022 2023: 273 273 2023 2024: 384 384 2024 2025: 363 363 2025 2026: 55 55 2026
  • Crashes reported: 58
  • Fires reported: 29
  • Injuries: 45
  • Deaths: 3

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr9.5%
  • 1–2 yrs12.1%
  • 2–3 yrs8.7%
  • 3–5 yrs20.5%
  • 5+ yrs49.2%

Median age at incident: 60 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2018 · Full-size pickups

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2018 Toyota Tundra9911.40.27
2018 GMC Sierra 150029834.40.82
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 150051459.31.41
2018 Ram 150065675.61.8
2018 Ford F-1501,890217.95.18

Safety recalls (19)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS Campaign 26V373000 · 2026-06-09

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V097. When the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On," the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) may remain fully bright instead of dimming to parking lamps as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

Risk: Daytime Running Lamps that do not dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: ,Dealers will reprogram the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) Campaign 26V375000 · 2026-06-09

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 17V669. Quickly moving the shift lever from Park to Drive may cause a loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display and a momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral.

Risk: Unintended gear selection may cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction, increasing the risk of crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S42. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER Campaign 25V236000 · 2025-04-11

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.

Risk: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S37. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-150.

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS Campaign 24V852000 · 2024-11-08

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST Campaign 22V150000 · 2022-03-11

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.

Risk: A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter notifying customers of the safety defect were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed April 29, 2022. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S11.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH Campaign 21V983000 · 2021-12-16

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.

Risk: Unexpected tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches, free of charge. An interim notification letter was mailed January 31, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S53.

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT Campaign 21E027000 · 2021-04-12

Summary: Tenneco Automotive (DRiV) is recalling certain MOOG K500359 ball joints, for aftermarket installation on 2015-2018 Ford F-150 trucks. The ball joint may have a misaligned dust boot and may be missing alignment hole and installation warning tag, which may lead to improper alignment of the ball joint.

Risk: An incorrectly installed ball joint may cause the ball joint stud to break, which can compromise front wheel control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: DRiV will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary replace the ball joint, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Tenneco Automotive customer service at 1-877-489-6659.

TIRES Campaign 21V155000 · 2021-03-10

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS Campaign 20V097000 · 2020-02-21

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamps" switch position to "Headlamps On." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

Risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER Campaign 19V633000 · 2019-08-28

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

Risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.

ENGINE Campaign 19V278000 · 2019-04-08

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.

Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.

ENGINE Campaign 18V894000 · 2018-12-18

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.

Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER Campaign 18V568000 · 2018-08-31

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.

Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S27.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 18V392000 · 2018-06-12

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S17.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 18V213000 · 2018-04-04

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.

Risk: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) Campaign 18V214000 · 2018-04-04

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions and 2018 Ford F-150 and Expedition vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions (excluding Expedition vehicles with a Rotary Gear Shift Dial on the console). The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.

Risk: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the shift cable locking clip and properly seat it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 18S10.

ENGINE Campaign 17V672000 · 2017-10-23

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L engines. The cylinder heads may have been machined without lubrication supply holes for the camshaft bearing journals.

Risk: Without a proper supply of lubrication, the engine will fail, causing a stall and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford is not aware of any affected vehicles outside of dealer control. Should owner contact subsequently be required, arrangements will be made to transport their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the engine replaced.The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S37.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT Campaign 17V669000 · 2017-10-23

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.3L engine, a 6-speed transmission and a column mounted shift lever. Quickly moving the shift lever from Park to Drive may cause a loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display and a momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral before the vehicle achieves Drive function.

Risk: Unidentified or unintended gear selection may cause the vehicle to move in a way that was not intended by the driver, increasing the risk of crash or injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S35.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS Campaign 17V598000 · 2017-09-25

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Super Cab pick-up trucks not equipped with a moonroof. The structural roof braces may be missing rivets at the attachment of the roof rail, thereby reducing the structural integrity.

Risk: If the structural integrity is reduced, in the event of a rollover crash, there may be an increased risk of injury .

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install the rivets for the roof brace attachments, free of charge. The recall began October 17, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S29.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints were filed for the 2018 Ford F-150?

1,890 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-150, or about 217.9 per year on the road.

What is the most common problem reported for the 2018 Ford F-150?

The most common category is Transmission / powertrain, accounting for 33.1% of complaints.

Does the 2018 Ford F-150 have any recalls?

NHTSA lists 19 safety recall(s) for this model year. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Low-pressure fuel pump failure” (opened 2024-07-29, closed 2025-09-19).

Is the 2018 Ford F-150 still generating complaints?

In the last 12 months 55 new complaints were filed, versus 484 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.

How does the 2018 Ford F-150 compare with similar vehicles?

NHTSA has received 1,890 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford F-150, or 217.9 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 5.18, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #71 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Ford models its rate is 300% higher; against other Full-size pickups it is 122% higher.