2018 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring and had progressively worsened upon starting the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

This has now happened 8+ times. While traveling on the highway towing either a boat or trailer, my engine shuts down. This has happened at 75 mph. The error code :Auto StartStop Shift to P, then Restart Engine" displays on the instrument panel. Power steering does not work, steering becomes quite difficult. I have found several other instances of this same issue in Ford forums. So... at 75mph, on a highway, I lost all power 3-5 times in one trip. Each time I coasted to the safety strip, put the truck in park, and restarted. Several times the vehicle would not restart immediately. I pulled off the highway and did some research and disables the Auto Start/Stop feature, which seemed to alleviate the issue. Unfortunately I cannot permanently disable the feature. I did stop at a Ford dealership and showed them a picture of the error code. The dealership did not have a fix, and stated it was not a known issue. The last instance was in November, I have not towed since then. Today another mechanic flashed the PM module that controls Auto Start/Stop for another issue, an emissions recall, but did not know if that update would also clear up the towing issue. I have found at least 5 other instances of the the same issue with other Ford F150s in online forums.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the top of the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phaser had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer offered financial assistance for the failure of the cam phaser. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

The transmission loses power going down the freeway. Transmission related (slipping) not engine related. the transmission jolts between 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 gears and is dangerous to drive. I have had the truck in the shop numerous times and they "reset" something (software) that does nothing. 1000's have reported this 10 speed transmission issue (GM/Ford built transmission) and the problem is WIDELY known - yet, NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uou ask for approximate date this accorred, its been occurring for months/years so I put todays date. Class action lawsuits are stacking up yet nothing from Ford or NHTSA????

Transmission and engine shuttering while driving up and down hill. Hard shifting, lack of acceleration. Orange wrench appears on dash with message about 4×4, reduced power. No codes present no check engine light. Get back home and the wrench has disappeared

The transmission was shifting hard and went from 10th gear to 1st gear all of a sudden, almost like slamming on the brakes. Also when stepping on the gas to pass someone, wouldn't downshift correctly to speed up. Also, when turning, wouldn't select a proper gear to roll smoothly, would downshift hard and make a loud bang and vibration.

Driving down the freeway at 65-70 mph today. Transmission was slipping in 10th gear, then dropped into 1st gear briefly with a loud clang and a brief screech of the tires. Fortunately did not loose control, but if it had locked up for more than just a split second, it could have been bad. Ford isn’t taking the issue seriously. Took it to Ford in March for erratic shifting behavior. Was told it was normal for these transmissions. Took it to them again last month. Was told again it was normal They could replace it for $10k but it would probably do the same thing in another 50k miles. I was able to partially recreate it on an empty road away from any people or buildings. (see photo where truck briefly drops into 1st gear at 55mph)

In November, dealership sends out a tech to perform a PCM Recall on my truck. 110,000 miles and never had a problem with it. After recall, check engine light comes on after less than 10 miles of driving. Tech returns, runs his program and says maybe this will fix it. Less than 200 miles of driving, check engine light comes on again. Third attempt with tech, runs program, says there is nothing he can do. Dealership says there is nothing they can do except run diagnostics for a fee. Contact Ford corporate, they give the same nothing they can do except run diagnostics for a fee. I refuse. No problems at all with my truck until they performed the PCM recall issued by Ford. Just so happens this problem is being reported on Reddit app by several other Ford owners, but “there’s nothing Ford can do.”

The transmission shifts from 10th gear to 1st when I’m going 70mph. Then it leaves me with no throttle control. If I get to 7th gear and approach a stop sign, it will stay in 7th gear and I can’t accelerate until it shifts down to 4th, to 1st, then back up to 3rd. It’s extremely dangerous, I can’t drive like it’s a normal car

40,000 miles on truck and the horn does not work. There is no power to the fuse.

APIM - Accessory Protocol Interface Module Failed reprogramming for a current software version update Local mechanic as well as Ford Dealership recommended module replacements

A significant knocking sound can be heard from my truck during cold start and when at idle and remains an issue that Ford did not address as part of their Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03 issued on March 21, 2021. That specific CSP specifically excluded my model (Ford F-150 Raptor) from the program; however, my vehicle exhibits the exact same cam phaser issues and has already been identified by my local Ford dealership as the root cause. I am submitting this request that the NHTSA will require/force Ford to honor their product and fully cover the cost of needed repairs no different than what they did as part of the CSP 21N03.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact used a code reader to attempt to determine the cause of the failure but was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the failure was related to the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Accessory protocol image module (APIM) failed, resulting in frequent loss of power to radio, display, and climate controls.

The cam phasers failed at under 65K miles. Engine makes a loud noise and the transmission shifting is affected. Took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and I declined to repair it for now.

VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO LOWER GEAR WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT CHANGE I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TRY TO GET IT TO CHANGE I TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED AND STILL NO CHANGE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND WAITED THEN FINALLY CHANGE BUT WAS HARD SHIFTING AND STALLING TO CHANGE

The transmission slips from 3 to 4 and 7 to 8. Downshifts hard. Truck has been doing for no reason for a couple of months. Sometimes it accelerates itself.truck has 78k miles and no hard driving or tow has been done.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal engine rattle sound during deceleration. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal chirping sound while idling warm or hot. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under TSB Numbers: 18-2354 and 19-2140. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Throttle cuts out unexpectedly and truck seems to rapidly decelerate. Sometimes when this happens my transmission slams into another gear and tires chirp.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear, and the vehicle jerked while shifting from first gear to fourth gear, and from fourth gear to eighth gear unintendedly. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 60 MPH while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle jerked while shifting into first gear. The service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Ram's Auto, where it was determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

Transmission failure. Dealership diagnosed CDF drum slipped out of place causing gear slipping, slamming into gear, shuttering. It is available for inspection upon request. Sudden and unexpected lack of power, and unreliable shifting due to slipping gears created safety hazard on the road. Problem has been confirmed by dealership. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance rep. No warning lamps have been illuminated before or since the malfunction.

Backup camera was hard to see with, when backing up I could not detect obstacles. I replaced the backup camera with a new part at my cost of about $100 which I have a receipt for.

My 2018 Ford F-150, 3.5l Ecoboost truck is experiencing hard shifting between gears. The transmission races in the lower gear and then has a hard think into the next gear.

When driving and the transmission is shifted into 10th gear the transmission automatically shifts down to 1st gear and the rpm gauge increases then decreases as the truck slows in speed.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the transmission had seized in first gear. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact's husband changed the transmission fluid and became aware of small metallic debris in the transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.

When accelarating the truck jerks or hesitatess as if it is struggling to get to the next gear.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E070000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. In addition, while stopped at a light, the transmission hesitated before depressing the accelerator. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced a year ago. Most recently, the contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(P). The contact turned off the vehicle, opened the door, closed the door, and then restarted the vehicle, and the gear shifter was still stuck in park(P). The contact jiggled the gear shifter. The contact stated that several unknown messages appeared on the Ford App. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for the transmission to be inspected. The failure mileage was 124,274.

This 10 speed transmission has a substantial problems according to many owners reporting online. The car change gear automatically up and down that can result into an accident on the road for cars hitting from behind. The car accelerates by itself as well and as far as I learned that is related to the transmission. The problem started when the car was under the manufacturer warranty but they never wanted to fix it. The car now is out of the warranty and got much worse.

The automatic transmission failed in my 2018 Ford F-150. The vehicle felt like it went into neutral and then back into gear when taking off from a stop. Th vehicle only has 76,000 miles and i was told this has been an issue with this ford. I am afraid a person would run into the vehicle if taking off and the vehicle could not accelerate because it was not in gear. Service manager stated this is an ongoing problem.

When driving vehicle, started experiencing intermittent power loss, not showing on the tach, turbo or gear selection readouts. Power would appear to diminish only to re-catch. Thought I had maybe gotten some bad gas. Waited until the gas tank was empty and refilled with premium. Problem continued another day or two. Then, while driving on the freeway in Texas, at 75 mph, i experienced the same drop of power, but this time instead of picking right back up, there was a loud "thunk" and then total loss of acceleration and the wrench light appeared on the dash. I had to "limp" the truck across three lanes to the shoulder. After re-starting, the truck engaged and I was able to continue the drive, still experiencing the intermittent power loss. I took the truck to the dealership same day, and received a call the next day that the transmission was failing and needed to be completely replaced ($9,000+) repair that was not going to be covered by extended warranty. I believe this is a known issue with the Ford 10 speed transmission (see lots of communications about this exact problem) and should be covered by an active recall!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted, and the vehicle decelerated abruptly. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.

Many times this year while driving on the highway doing the speed limit, my transmission overheated and would start leaking fluid onto the pavement. The only way to stop this was to let the truck sit on the shoulder while monitoring the transmission temperature until it was within the proper clearances. I noticed that the models year models 2019+ have an open recall for this issue but my truck isn't covered under this even though it's equipped with the 10-Speed transmission. The last time this occured my transmission entered into a limp mode and I had to manually change gears until I could find a safe place to turn off the truck. After about 15 minutes, the truck operated normally again but it was burning off all of the transmission fluid that was ejected to the detriment of the drivers behind me.

Went to have truck service and said lug nuts were swelled probably not torqued properly. I only had it serviced at the dealer so I said they should replace due to it was their fault. They refused to replace wanted 132 for new ones. I told them to keep their [XXX] lug nuts why would I buy a defective product. Bunch of [XXX]. The. I read online there have been issues with the lug nuts swelling. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I went for oil change and tire rotation and told lug nuts needed replaced due to probably over tightening. I have only had vehicle serviced at dealership. I was angry because I thought they should replace free of charge they wanted 132 for new ones. I told them no why would u want to replace with the same [XXX] product. Ford should recall the lug nuts for free!!! Ridiculous INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle would not shift properly and at times or down shift to first gear at highway speeds almost causing a couple of accidents due to lose of acceleration / deceleration.

Left front wheel bearing excessive wear requiring replacement. Right front wheel bearing may also evidence same issue. Vehicle has not experienced severe duty use while in my care. Vehicle was purchased used in September of 2022 with 43K miles. Mileage is now approx. 79.3K. At time of purchase no issue noted. Note: I also own a 1098 F150 with approx. 320K miles. Front bearings were replaced at approx. 160K miles. Original parts were with-in new spec.

Transmission slips when changes gears and jolts at times into gears with a heavy jolt and sound. Slips multiple times throughout the gear changing process. Occasionally jumping down from gear 9 to gear 1.

This Ford F-150 has repeatedly been in the shop for transmission issues : hard shifting, skipping gears, slamming in/out of gear while driving almost causing accidents. It is currently in the shop , needing new transmission . Repairs have not fixed the issues and I do know that many owners with the same 10 speed transmission with the same severe safety issues.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, a knocking noise came from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the cam phasers failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact learned of the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 68,000.

The transmission was up-shifting from 1st gear to 3rd, then from 6th gear to 8th, then from 8th gear to 10th gear without any increased gas pedal pressure. While at a stop sign and having my foot applied to the brake pedal, the transmission was jumping and jerking the truck forward to move! I had to put my foot harder on the brake pedal to keep the truck from moving into the intersection! I called the dealership and they advised me not to drive our truck, due to possible more damage to the transmission. The dealership told us that it might just be a programming/software issue, that a possible re-flashing of the transmission might be the issue. That the vehicle starts to learn how you drive? We were first charged a service fee to diagnose this transmission about $250.00. I was worried that I would rear end someone, due to this transmission trying to force me forward at every stop! While driving, it was doing a jerking motion that was very forceful. This should be a nationwide recall due to this transmission not responding correctly and possibly causing a serious vehicle accident, not by an operator error! Our mileage was at 48,203 miles when we took it to the dealership. The powertrain is for 5 years or 60,000 miles. We paid $3,520.00 + the $250.00 to diagnose. Ford paid $2,880.00 due to the low mileage and it just ran out of warranty. If you notice any unexplained jerking motion while driving get it checked out ASAP! Ask about Fords Customer Loyalty Score/Financial Assistance to help pay for this unexpected bill!

Vehicle downshifted from 10th gear to 6th gear while traveling 70 MPH on I-20. RPM rose to 4,500 before truck could be finally stopped on an off ramp. Vehicle engine was eventually turned. After a couple of minutes vehicle was started again and operated normally for continued return home.Vehicle spent 1 week at dealer for evaluation and computer reprogramming. Recently vehicle (F-150 XLT) has again downshifted while traveling at 65 MPH from 10th gear except this time only to 8th gear. Pulled over, stopped the engine, waited a couple of minutes and restarted the engine. Vehicle again operated normally in all gears. Both downshifts occurred while the vehicle was in the cruise control mode and no there were no warning light indications prior to either occurrence. No computer codes indicated during follow-up evaluations.

Transmission not operating correctly. It jumps out of gear and does not go back in. Have it in the Ford Dealership and was told that it needs a new transmission. Having the transmission installed, repair is at a great cost. Quoted $8800.00 plus taxes. In researching this problem it is noted that this is a problem that has been experienced by a large group of Ford owners. I'm asking you to push Ford to do a recall and compensate the owners for the repairs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking, tapping, and rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin 23-2143. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 105,000.

The truck lurches forward when put in park. When shifting from park to another gear it slams into gear. When driving down the road it slips in gears and shudders and jolts. I have been driving down the interstate whens it's done that and I thought I was going to cause an accident and seriously hurt myself and others. The vehicle has been gone over by an independent garage. There is no lights on or codes coming through saying anything is wrong.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,724.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while in reverse (R), there was a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was shifted to drive (D) and then to reverse(R) and the noise was lessened. The contact stated that the vehicle was then shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle accelerated inadvertently. The brake pedal was depressed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling a Keystone Cougar trailer, the tailgate opened unintendedly, which the contact noticed after making a stop. The contact stated that the failure caused damages to the vehicle and the trailer. The contact stated that the upper part of the tailgate was bent, and the outer side of the tailgate had buckled in. Additionally, the contact noticed that the propane tank of the trailer had been pushed back. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,500.

The transmission doesn't shift properly, we took it in and had the transmission rebuilt but it started having the same problem again after 3 months. The truck only has 113,000 miles on it. It is a safety concern because at high speeds it will down shift.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance at the local dealer, it was determined that the plastic oil pan drain plug was leaking around the gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

My truck started having issue(s) accelerating properly on-time over the past few months. The issue was only intermittent and occurred sometimes when needing to accelerate quickly in certain scenarios such as turning onto a busy road or merging in high traffic. It would also sometimes downshift very hard when driving at moderate speeds ~40 - 50 mph, and jarred the vehicle so hard it felt like the engine was going to drop out of the truck. The acceleration issue resulted in several incidents in which I was in danger of being struck by other drivers for being momentarily "dead in the water", but the worst incident occurred when I was attempting to merge into a left lane (9/11/2024) during rush hour in front of an on-coming dump truck; my truck did not accelerate AT ALL and the dump truck had to slam on his breaks and swerve out of the lane, coming extremely close to destroying me at about 45 MPH; had my vehicle accelerated correctly it would have never an issue. I am certain I would have suffered severe injury or death from this incident. I had no warning lights or other indications something was wrong and have no notices from Ford about the issue (see below). I took the truck to Coughlin Ford of Heath (Ohio) and they quoted me over $4000 for the parts and labor stating that cam sprockets need replaced along with re-timing labor. They said there were no active recalls but Coughlin and two other repair shops (one private and one Ford dealership) told me that this is a very common problem with these trucks and that there previously was a Ford customer satisfaction program to have this problem fixed in the past few years. I was NEVER notified of the program despite being the sole owner and only ever taking my truck to dealerships for repair over the past 6 years. I contacted Ford and filed a complaint (ref CXH02678193) but they indicated they would not be helping me despite nearly getting me killed. My out of pocket total was $4619.11 for parts, labor, and a rental car.