2018 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The contact stated that while driving with the transmission shifting from 9th gear to 10th gear, the transmission shifted to neutral, and the vehicle started to coast. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be reprogrammed, and the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage for the failure, but would attempt to assist with the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to Nthe HTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

10r80 Automatic transmission. Randomly hunts for gears, often suddenly switches to Neutral before slamming into gear, sometimes loses gears on the highway, after a stoplight/sign or in the middle of intersections leading to a temporarily stalled vehicle in high traffic areas. Transmission behavior is unpredictable and inefficient. When brought to Ford for an oil and transmission fluid change; the vehicle threw a code, after diagnostic, they state that the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of over 9000 USD. Vehicle information states that the transmission is supposed to be good for 150000 miles. New vehicle warranty is 5 years OR 50000 miles. There's a massive discrepancy between those numbers. My vehicle started showing symptoms at 60000 miles and full blown issues at 100000. There are no vehicle warnings other than when the dealer was testing post transmission fluid change a "wrench" light came on. Now the vehicle cannot "find" reverse gear.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard with the "Brake Fluid Level Low Service Now" message displayed. Upon inspection of the engine, the contact discovered that the brake fluid was low; brake fluid was added to the vehicle, and the contact drove to the nearest dealer. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered that brake fluid had leaked into the brake booster due to a defective brake master cylinder. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and linked the failure to the recall. The dealer then informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 119,650.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed with the service brakes and low brake fluid warning lights illuminated. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder had allowed brake fluid to leak into the brake booster, causing the brake booster and the brake master cylinder to fail. The contact was informed that the brake booster and brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

While driving on the interstate with the cruise control set at 70mph the vehicle's transmission, while climbing a small hill, started slipping badly. There was a loud klunking sound and an immediate substantial increase in rpms. As a result I immediately slowed the vehicle down to around 60mph. Additionally I moved over into the slow lane. The yellow wrench light activated on my dashboard indicating a power train issue. The transmission continued having slipping issues while driving it home. I took it to my local Ford dealership and they informed me the the ten speed transmission was failing, and needed to be rebuilt. The truck only has 75,000 miles on it. I've read that Ford has had a lot of issues with these 10 speed transmissions, especially in the early years like my 2018 F150, and that a recall hasn't been issued. I feel as though an incident such as mine could cause an accident, especially at freeway speeds, that could result in injury or loss of life especially on a snow covered or icy road. The only symptoms I had prior to this incident was a slight amount of transmission slipping which I put off as the typical odd shifting pattern of this 10 speed transmission. As far as I know there have been no inspections done by Ford, and there was no inspections done by the police or my insurance provider.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to rod bearing failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

While driving through an intersection, my truck unexpectedly shut down. An error message appeared on the dashboard stating: "Auto Start/Stop – Shift to P, then Restart Engine." I was in a lane with oncoming traffic at the time, so I had to come to a complete stop, shift the vehicle into park, and restart the engine. After restarting, the truck resumed normal operation and I was able to continue driving.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced erratic and unexpected transmission shifting and a loss of motive power. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be repaired or possibly replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure started shortly after the vehicle was repaired under an Emissions recall. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 125,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. While the contact's husband was attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with cam phasers failure. The contact was informed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown Customer Support Program; however, the program had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that her son was adding engine oil to the engine between every scheduled oil change. The contact stated that on the last scheduled oil change, the technician stated that the engine had consumed 3 quarts of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer was contacted and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Complaint is regarding transmission issues on a 2018 Ford F150, 10-speed Transmission 10R80. Ford safety bulletins, recalls and transmission part replacements have failed to fix and resort transmission to a normal working condition. Transmission is now downshifting and delaying acceleration in the middle of the road. These unresolved issues with the 10R80 transmission are creating a hazardous situation for my family. Vehicle is unpredictably failing to accelerate at stop sign and red lights, preventing the flow of traffic. Vehicle is failing to accelerate in an appropriate and safe way while merging into the highway. Vehicle is downshifting unpredictably while in motion creating imminent danger to my children. The trade in and resale value are severely affected by the issues created by the 10-speed transmission. BBB Auto Line program case: FRD2511990. Complaint is in regard to Ford lack of substantial help in resolving known issues with the 10R80 transmission.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The contact stated that the gears were jumping. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 45 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 139,600.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle in reverse the back up camera screen display was either solid black with no image or with vertical lines with a very distorted image. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V252000(BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

The 10R80 10 speed transmission in this vehicle Down shifts at highway speeds into first gear locking up the rear tires and making this vehicle a hand full . The problems are well documented with this transmission. How many people will have to be hurt, permanently disabled or even killed before the NHTSafetyA does something about ALL of these transmissions ???

backup camera stopped working around 07/2025 and now starting 10/2025 it will work when it wants to but its not clear it will be distorted.

2018 Ford F150 XLT twin turbo 4wd. Since the day I bought it. Nothing but problems with lurching jerking at stops. Clunking when truck is on AND OFF. We have video of it. Pushing gas pedal and truck hesitates before it jumps forward always the transmission been to every ford dealer in our area they refuse to help or say they DONT HEAR the knocking or feel lurching all lies we have had at least 3 close calls avoiding accidents and 2 days ago the truck would not stop the transmission skipped and I hit a deer. My bull bar absorbed most of the impact. The 10 speed transmission is the issue and no one wants to hear it but ford wants $10,000 for a new transmission after I paid $48000 for this truck and it’s been in the shop half the time.

My truck has been having shifting problems. Hard shifting going into gear. It hesitates and I have zero power then slams into gear. Unsafe to drive. I have had it serviced and zero luck.

Truck only has 48,124 miles on it. Per the tech it no longer has the weight on the driveshaft to keep it in balance. They sent the driveshaft to B&T driveshaft to be balanced. It came back and 80% of the vibration was gone. They then said they had to replace the entire driveshaft without testing the universal joints. They did install the JL3z*4r*z driveshaft kit. This did resolve the vibration but why would like part have to be replaced at such low milage on a 2018 F-150?

At 65k miles I have started to experience the dreaded 3.5l cam phaser rattle that Ford initially had a Customer Satisfaction Program on. Ford only repaired vehicles that were making a noise at the time of the program so they wouldn’t change my phasers even though they knew they had issues. I just got off the phone with ford customer support and even though I’m within the milage of the initial free replacement they won’t offer any assistance on the $8k repair.

I bought this truck new. It immediately began shifting hard. The dealer flashed the transmission several times, but did not solve the problem. The dealer even documented the harsh shifting, but after the reflash they said there is nothing else to be done, so I gave up. Now the shifting is worse and it will drop from 7th or 8th gear to 1st. Also, the transmission will intermittently not shift at all. This has done this to me twice while I was merging into traffic or making a left turn at an intersection leaving me motionless in traffic. Despite documentation from the beginning of ownership, the dealer nor ford will do anything despite the mechanic telling me this is a known issue that stems from fords design of the transmission. I am now paying for an all new transmission to keep safe. Ford is going to get people hurt by not fixing a known problem with their product.

While driving to Sam’s Club (approximately 20 miles from home), my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost began running very rough, and the check engine light came on. I had the vehicle scanned, and diagnostics confirmed that the cam phasers are failing — the exact issue I had replaced under warranty at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle now has just 88,000 miles, and this failure occurred in under 30,000 miles since the original repair. I have maintained this truck with extreme care. I only use Motorcraft parts and fluids, change the oil every 3,000 miles or sooner, and always use premium fuel. This is not a maintenance issue. This is a design or part failure that Ford has not properly resolved. When the phasers were replaced the first time, I was told there was no warranty on the replacement parts. That is unacceptable. A known failure being replaced with an equally defective part is not a resolution. Ford is aware of this issue — there are multiple TSBs (including TSB 21-2130 and 19-2208) and widespread complaints across owner forums — but they have taken no responsibility. I paid over $44,000 for this truck and should not be facing the same critical engine failure twice before 90k miles. The rough performance and sudden malfunction while driving posed a potential safety risk. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can investigate and hold Ford accountable. This seems like a common problem with this engine, and I do not understand why there has not been a recall or why Ford has not been forced to implement a permanent fix.

When driving for a hour ac shuts off and only blows warm air. Had everything tested and comes out perfect they can’t find an issue. Happened multiple times but reporting the most recent

Vehicle is shuddering as acceleration starts, took to dealership before warranty ended and they dismissed concerns. Issue has intermittently persisted since then with no resolution available from dealership. The acceleration issues causes the vehicle to slow down and halt before jerking into motion again. Additionally the engine eco boost is occasionally shutting the vehicle off in traffic, if the brake is released too quickly with the boost feature on the engine shuts off, you have to put it back in park and then start the engine again. I've almost been rear ended twice when a light turns green and my engine turns off unexpectedly.

Gear 7 Ratio Incorrect P076F Transmission doesn’t engage like it should.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear suspension spring was cracked. While looking underneath the vehicle, the contact noticed a hairline crack on the weld. There was a vibration in the vehicle while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle, and no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Backup camera started glitching on and off for a couple weeks and eventually stopped working completely and screen is now black when shifted in to reverse. Purchase new camera from dealer, installed, but did not fix issue so I returned it. Found out later that the camera requires initialization or programming depending on year so replacing my consumer does not appear possible.

Back up camera stopped working on 2018 F150 XLT 2.7 v6. Screen only shows blank screen or blue screen with the words, cameral not available.

Per ford tmsb the oil pan was installed wrong on some f150 trucks and leak needs recall to repair there mistake '

Despite following Ford’s instructions step-by-step and investing hours into multiple calls with the Customer Service Division, we were given the runaround and ultimately denied assistance, even though: •This is a known defect with the Cam Phaser, CSP issued for our vehicle. •We attempted to have the repair performed within the CSP period but were delayed due to pandemic-related part shortages and poor dealership follow-up. •Our warranty expired less than 30 days before diagnosis. Our documented timeline: •July 25, 2022 – Brought truck to Courtesy Ford for PCM reprogram under 21N03; told parts were backordered due to pandemic. After a week, we had to reclaim the truck for work needs. Service was poor, with no follow-up. •November 2022 – Returned truck; again no resolution or follow-up. •January 1, 2023 – Ford extended CSP under 21B10; still no symptoms at this time. •May 28, 2025 – Private shop diagnosed Cam Phaser failure; quoted ~$5,000. •August 2025 – Chose Canby Ford for better service; diagnosis confirmed repair needed at $5,225.18. The three calls to Ford Customer Service: 1.Call 1 – Opened initial case, told to bring truck for cold start diagnosis. 2.Call 2 – After delivering truck, spent an hour on hold and “updating” records; told CSP couldn’t be located and to call back after diagnosis. 3.Call 3 – After diagnosis, finally told we were ineligible because warranty expired less than 30 days prior; agent and supervisor claimed they could not override the system. At no point during the first two calls did anyone verify our eligibility or warn that warranty expiration would block assistance — meaning we invested significant time, followed Ford’s instructions, and left our truck on a service lot, only to be told we never qualified in the first place. This is an unacceptable breakdown in process and communication.

Vehicle has had regular maintenance. It started rattling at startup and we took in for service. The service department said the 5.0L Ford Motors are pulling more oil than the manufacturer recommends and is causing engine damage up to and including engine failure. Thankfully we took it in as soon as it started making a noise, but that did not save the engine. Now we are facing a $16K repair for an apparent "known" issue about this Ford motor. Ford will not help and said to take it up with NHTSA to try to get a recall for this issue. This seems like a manufacturer defect, but they are not taking any responsibility for this problem.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change at a dealer, the mechanic located an oil leak in the oil pan and informed the contact that the oil pan and silicone sealant needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,314.

Linkage seized and no longer moves. This is a recall in Canada but not the US, but my truck was also affected.

Backup Camera stopped working on [XXX] right before Ford issued a recall notice for a backup camera issue related to a software update, but this VIN is not included. This seems highly coincidental. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Long delay between shifts where the vehicle loses substantial speed

Even with the update to add more oil pressure the camshaft phasers still failed. Happened up in the mountains on vacation. Very large rattle and jerking when first starting the engine. 71,000 miles. All maintenance has been done on time. No warning signs or build up. Ticking time bomb if continued to be driven

I’m filing this complaint regarding a major transmission failure in my 2018 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX] ) with just over 40,000 miles. The issue resulted in multiple loss-of-drivability incidents while pulling out into traffic. On several occasions, the vehicle failed to engage or hesitated severely when shifting into gear, leaving me stranded on the wrong side of the road. In one instance, I was forced to manually cycle through gears to try and regain forward momentum while cars approached at speed. This created a dangerous situation not only for me but for other drivers. The vehicle showed no prior warning lights or messages before the issue occurred. A certified repair shop pulled diagnostic codes and identified a transmission-related fault. I was advised to take the truck to a Ford dealership, where they confirmed a transmission failure requiring a full replacement, quoted at nearly $10,000. A transmission failure at this mileage is unacceptable and unsafe. I’m reporting this as a safety concern due to the sudden loss of power and drive function in live traffic situations. I’ve since found reports of similar issues from other F-150 owners. This needs further investigation and consideration for recall or formal service campaign. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I just had to replace my fuel pump due to sudden failure. It was repaired this month at Crossroads Ford of Wake Forest NC. I as well the dealer have the receipts for the repair cost. I believe it should be included in the current recall just issued by Ford and be reimbursed.

The transmission failed at only 63,000 miles. Prior to the failure i had no codes or warning lights. It began to shift harshly and jump gears. At a stop light it would remain in 7th gear and then trying to get moving again would require a large amount of acceleration, then it suddenly would jump down to 1st gear and shoot ahead. This is a large pickup and i am concerned for the safety of pedestrians. Also, at faster speeds the transmission would suddenly downshift causing a large jerk and could easily result in a loss of control. After the transmission failed, i did some research online and was shocked to see so many similar postings from owners with this same transmission. Ford Motor Company agreed to pay a portion of the repair as they are fully aware this is a common problem with this 10 speed transmission. I hope you look into this as i feel it is an extreme safety issue for pedestrians as these are large pickups. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the moon roof closed, the contact heard an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the moon roof independently opened halfway and independently closed repeatedly. The dealer was made aware of the failure and provided a reset; however, the reset failed to fix the failure. The contact stated that the moon roof closed but was not properly sealed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured moon roof frame. The contact was informed that the moon roof frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,500.

At a little over 56,500 files, the engine started having a load rattling noise during a cold start where the engine has been sitting for a few hours. I dig some Google searches and found that the noise was related to the cam phaser issue associated with Ford's 3.5L Ecoboost engines so I took it to Jim Vreeland Ford in Buellton, CA to get an official diagnosis on July 1, 2025 that costed me $196. The dealer confirmed that the noise is caused by the cam phaser issued that was noted in Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03, which I never received a notification for. Ford apparently issued TSB 23-2143 to address the issue, and I was quoted $3158.07 to address the issue along with $2026.71 for unrelated but recommended components that should be replaced at the same time. I was told that this can lead to catastrophic engine failure if not addressed. Ford is refusing to cover any of the cost.

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 over time the knocking sound became more frequent, and the vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with defective cam phasers, and an estimate was provided for the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

I purchase a 2018 Ford F150 on [XXX]. One week later I am experiencing truck not wanting to shift out of first gear. The shifting is hard and jerking. It jerk so hard that if my son and I didn’t have our seat belt on we would have hit the dash. It periodically will shift from the 9 gear to 1 then back to 4th & 5th gear. It’s I almost got slammed by the car behind me. It is scary I took it to a shop and a total transmission replacement needs to be done I reach out the dealership that told me before I purchased it, all used vehicles go through a thorough inspection. I trusted the dealership and purchased the truck. Under further investigation I contacted where the truck was serviced last and they did an oil consumption test because it is burning a lot of oil. The dealership refuses to help. The transmission is definitely a safety hazard I haven’t even had it a month and I can barely drive it. It my only means of transportation. I have reoccurring monthly doctors appt for my son. It is completely unsafe and can cause a deadly accident for my self and to other around me. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

I spilled something on my passenger side front so removed my weathertech floor liner and noticed the carpet was wet with some mildew on it. Cleaned it up and let it air dry. Some time b later I b checked it again and it was more wet. Went online and saw a recall . Called dealer that has serviced my truck since I drove it off the lot . Why they hadn’t told me about the recall. Was told it wasn’t on the recall. They are telling me I have to pay to fix it . It’s obvious it shouu I led have been included in this recall. For all I know I have mold and mildew under my carpet. This can not be good or healthy for b me and b my family.

The electronic emergency break engages while on the highway crusing at normal highway speed. It has engaged randomly for a few months. Yesterday it engaged 15 times almost making me crash the 1st time. I had to pull over, shut off the truck to reset the brake to make it home.

During the years 2017 to 2020 Ford Motor Company manufactured a transmission 10r80 transmission with a defect in the CDF drum inside the transmission the bushing inside the drum moves out of place resulting in transmission failures.. this particular transmission usually lasts around $120-140,000 MI before the transmission fails. Through my research it costs between $5,500 and 7,500.00 for repairs.. with it being a manufacturer defect I feel that Ford should recall these Transmissions and replace them with the revised CDF drum..

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V392000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 47,721.

I was driving on the interstate, and pressed the accelerator to make a lane change and the tranmission did not respond. I could have been rear-ended because I had signaled and the other vehicle started to fill my space. I was unable to make the change. Fortunately the folloing vehicle kept a safe disance. Gear shifts have also been extremely clunky and skipping gears, sometimes when slowing down, dropping from a high gear (4-6) down to 2 or 1 without a corresponding drop in speed.