2018 Ford F-150 complaints

10 speed transmission shifted from 4 to 1 when I was trying to cross and intersection. It has also happened several times when I’m accelerating and hard shifts from the transmission cause my phone to fall and my body to jerk hard causing a ton of distractions in the cab while driving.

My cam phasers are always burning and consuming a lot of oil it also has a ticking sound coming from the engine which Ford says is normal but I don't think it's normal because it gets louder and it happens as I drive all the time. My transmission will automatically slam into a higher gear while trying to accelerate on the highway. Oil is constantly getting into the spark plug chamber even after replacement of seals.

Transmission seems to 'search' for the proper gear, delays in shifting, then violently and abruptly downshifts, with an EXTREMELY loud thud that can be unmistakably felt throughout the whole vehicle, alarming driver and occupants. Even children asked "what just happened"? Passengers believe a universal joint, rear axle, or other key drivetrain component has catastrophically failed. This seems to happen most often when accelerating, letting off of the gas pedal, then pressing the gas pedal again. Vehicle is equipped with a 10 speed automatic. This has been a recurring problem since purchased with approximately 23,000 miles on the vehicle.

Know CDF drum issue starts with hard shifting but now when driving at highway speeds the gear shifter will show it goes from 10th gear to first gear to second gear. Sometimes the engine will actually down shift for a moment. Secondly at low speeds the truck will shift from 3rd to 1st gear causing the truck to lurch forward.

1. Cdf drum issue 2. Transmission will suddenly down shift into 1st when going 60mph and will jerk the truck very hard and it slips when going into 4th gear. 3. Truck was looked at by independent service center 4. No warning light and mechanic said there were no faults on the transmission

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after stopping the vehicle, the vehicle would not immediately restart. Also, while at a stoplight with the Auto START/STOP feature activated, the vehicle did not immediately restart after depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle had to be jump-started. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who indicated that there was no issue with the battery and was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 102,602.

Rear wheels locked up on highway causing a skid. Vehicle was on fire when came to a stop. Vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the entire rear axle assembly was replaced.

The CDF drum bushing in the 10R80 transmission is able to spin and slide inside the housing causing extremely harsh and delayed shifts, momentary neutral, downshift of gears from 7th to 1st gear causing excessive engine reving, shutter shifts in gears 1-6. Ford didn’t redesign the CDF drum until the 2021 model’s, effecting thousands of vehicles with the 10R80 transmission. Does this not meet the safety requirements for a recall?

When accelerating to highway speeds, my truck downshifts a gear or 2. This has been happening for the past year since I purchased the truck. When I try to accelerate to 60 MPH from 50 it is really hesitant after downshifting.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced an unexpected transmission downshift. The RPMs increased to 5,000 and then decreased significantly. The contact released the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure occurred temporarily. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had overheated. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle experienced unexpected transmission downshifts while the RPMs revved, nearly causing a crash. The contact stated that upon shifting to neutral(N) and shifting back to drive(D), the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing hard shifts between 3rd and 4th gears, and the vehicle was shuddering while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to shift to 10th gear. The contact stated that the failures also occurred while driving on the highway. The power train warning light recently illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

APIMs failed. Will not reset, will not update, will not synch, will not function. Loss of GPS, 911 Assist, and all electronic functions. Other warning and rear view options unavailable. This loss of control of driver assisted functions limits safety and interaction features. Stems from 7 February update and software not removing old files. Verified by dealer, only way to fix software is to replace hardware at $1200 per part.

Upon cranking the truck the cam phasers make a rattling noise. The issue is the same as it is in the recall 21B10 that affects the F-150's but excludes the Raptor.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced unintended hard transmission downshifts from 9th gear to 5th gear. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving 60 MPH, causing the wheels to lock up temporarily. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced hard shifts from 3rd gear to 5th gear. The contact stated that the vehicle had been experiencing erratic transmission shifts while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who referred the contact to a transmission specialist. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where the computer was reset; however, the failure persisted. 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 50,000.

There have been no warning lamps and the issue has been confirmed by my local Ford dealer. I am having a hard shifts slamming down in gear abruptly. In addition between seventh and eighth gear either the computer or transmission doesn’t know which one to be in and the truck begins to shudder sometimes violently. This occurs when attempting to pass at hwy speeds. When you’re next to another vehicle it has led to Multiple near costly incidence. I don’t have confidence passing in this vehicle or towing. The gears slamming down are painful as a passenger.

While driving at highway speeds in my 2018 Ford F150 with 3.5 liter engine and 10-speed transmission when I would need to accelerate to pass or going up a hill the transmission downshift (as expected), but would "jerk" repeatedly until I let up on the accelerator. During light acceleration the transmission still "jerks", but not as bad. No "check engine" light illuminates.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 5-70 MPH, the transmission was shifting hard. There were no warning lights illuminated. On a separate occasion, the transmission was shifted from drive to reverse and shifted very hard. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but not diagnosed, and the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,500.

Transmission downshift without warning

The transmission on my 2018 Ford F-150 has been experiencing severe and dangerous malfunctions that compromise vehicle safety. Starting around 50,000 miles (currently at 75,000 miles), the truck began exhibiting violent and unpredictable transmission behavior, including: Sudden, uncommanded downshifting from 9th or 10th gear down to 1st or 2nd gear while driving at highway speeds. This causes the engine to redline instantly, the rear wheels to lock momentarily, and the truck to jerk violently, which has forced me to swerve or take evasive action to avoid collisions. Harsh shifting, gear hesitation, and occasional failure to engage gears properly during normal city driving. These issues occur intermittently but frequently, with no warning lights or messages, and the problem persists regardless of driving mode or conditions. I took the truck to a Ford dealership, who dismissed the issue as "normal behavior" for the 10-speed automatic transmission. They quoted a very high fee just to inspect it, with a lead time of several months before they could even look at it. No diagnostic trouble codes were found, and no fix or acknowledgment of the safety risk was offered. After researching the problem online, I found numerous other F-150 owners reporting identical symptoms. This appears to be a systemic failure affecting a wide population of vehicles with the 10-speed transmission. This transmission defect poses a serious safety risk not only to me but to other drivers on the road. Uncom

The doors do not close when cold i have to use the seatbelt to rap around doors to keep them shut. I have brought to ford multiple times no fix. The transmission erratically shifts through multiple gears and downshifts into low gears when at high rate of speed. Which i have been told is due to a faulty cdf drum in transmission that ford wont take responsibility for. It is a very dangerous vehicle

Transmission slams gears, downshifts hard, takes some time to get into gears if cold. Skips gears (for some reason, not sure if it’s supposed to but it isn’t good for the transmission). Overall, the 10r80 is very jumpy, slams into gear, etc.

Catastrophic transmission failure at 44,690 miles.

Vehicle shifting to lower gears while driving at any speed. Vehicle not engaging into higher gear when accelerating and then slipping out of gear completely. Vehicle remaining in high gears like 7 or 4 when completely stopped.

10r80 transmission not wanting to get out of second or just slamming gears from 10 back to 1 and not driving

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold starts, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the cam phasers were faulty, and a software update was needed. The software update was performed, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that shortly after the software update, the transmission started experiencing hard shifting. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced by an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 56,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from tenth gear to fourth gear. After the contact had experienced the failure, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure in the cluster gears. The contact then towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, and the part was purchased. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000. The VIN was not available.

While driving in manual mode on the road vehicle seemingly came out of gear and then slammed into a lower gear causing me to be slammed forward in my seat and nearly wrecked my vehicle, it then unprotected went to 1st then to 9the gear all while still in manual shift mode. Vehicle also dose not always fully engage park when P is illuminated.

The transmission on our 2018 F-150 with Ecoboost had harsh shifting into 3rd gear and had difficulties with delayed shifting from 6-7, 7-8, and 8-9, with some occurrences of the transmission downshifting to 1st gear. Most noticeable when leaving a stopped intersection or merging on with traffic entering the highway. Cars behind do not expect when our vehicle slows down, resulting in close call accidents. Our truck has been to Ford multiple times and they said this is normal. In February 2025, the truck was returned to a Ford dealership. The service department stated our truck will need the transmission replaced for $11,000. I inquired about this being a known issue. They stated yes but Ford corporate has not acknowledged any issues. I contacted Ford corporate, who acknowledged to assist but then said no due to the mileage being greater than 107,000. The truck was moved to an independent repair facility, and they agreed and provided a cost of $9,500. Currently, I am waiting for the truck to be repaired.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 15–20 MPH, the transmission independently downshifted into first gear, the vehicle jerked, and lost automotive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over onto the shoulder and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was taken to AAMCO, where the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to provide assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Our 2018 F-15 with 3.5 ecoboost has experienced known issues with the cam phasers, a loud rattle during startup. Ford service technicians report the problem to be from a pin coming loose on the cam phaser, resulting in the cam phaser slapping. Ford has acknowledged the issue and designed an updated cam phaser but has selectively chosen to replace the defective items only if a truck is under warranty. This said, the updated cam phasers were available after many trucks exceeded their warranty.

The same problem that is highlighted with the 1.3 million Ford F-150 truck investigation for the 2015 - 2017 models has happened to me. In 2024 my Ford F-150 would switch from 10th to 3rd gear without warning. This has lead to the transmission completely failing. I had to personally replace the transmission myself. I had just went over the warranty mileage. The incident was reported to Ford but nothing was done about it. At the machenic repair shop there were 2 other Ford F-150 that had the same problem.

The vehicle is available for inspection and evaluation if needed. Also can provide all records for service and repairs over last 2 years. Transmission failure hard shifting between gears 3-5 and 8-10, downshifting while driving vehicle will slow down and downshift even when accelerating. Had evaluated at several ford dealership that stated a new transmission was only solution after several attempts for re calibration and reprogramming. Causing a safety issue when accelerating and at high speeds. Yes my safety has been put at risk multiple times. Also the risk for passengers in the vehicle as well. The problem was reproducible several times at dealerships and repair shops. And all places stated the only way to fix is with new transmission which was purchased in 2024. There were warning lights (check engine) came on and transmission was overheating with normal city driving and highway driving. Every time the light would come on it was evaluated by a dealership every time. was told be dealership at initial notice of issue in April of 2024 that it was OK to drive with the shifting the way it was, that it was uncomfortable but that it wouldn't harm the transmission, which was not true. It continued to increase in severity until it was also overheating and unable to be driven.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon depression of the accelerator pedal, an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the front wheel of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was discovered that failure was caused by partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IWE), which needed to be repaired. The contact stated that the engine actuator and various other engine parts were replaced to repair the vehicle. The contact reached out to the manufacturer online and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

While accelerating from a stop, my truck would shift from 1st to 2nd gear, followed by a random jump of gears causing the truck to lose power. This occurred a couple times mid-turn across a divided highway with cars coming towards me. The dealer was able to reproduce the issue and said the problem was the CDF bushing that could become mis-aligned over time causing a restricted flow of transmission fluid, preventing proper shift. It first appeared in fall/winter of 2023. By March 2024 the transmission had to be replaced.

Summary: 2018 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX] , 3.5L EcoBoost) - Timing chain failure started at 30,000 miles, now at 111,000 miles. Rattling, power loss, misfires, stalling. Engine dangerous, risks crashes. Request NHTSA recall investigation. Description: Vehicle: 2018 Ford F-150, VIN [XXX] , 3.5L EcoBoost Issue: Timing chain failure began at 30,000 miles, worsened to 111,000 miles. Symptoms: loud rattling, power loss, misfires, stalling. Safety Risk: Unreliable engine, sudden power loss, potential stalling in traffic, or catastrophic failure. Dangerous to drive. Request: NHTSA investigate for recall due to early failure and safety hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Transmission slipped into neutral while accelerating and attempting to merge with highway traffic. Was nearly rear ended by the vehicle in back of me and had to veer off onto the shoulder of the road and turn the vehicle off and then back on to get the transmission to engage

The 2018 Ford-150-10 speed 2018 transmission is failing. Paid to have the computer to relearn the system and that failed. When you take off from a stop the truck will go 10 or 15 feet and the transmission will kick out of gear completely and the motor will reve up and kick back in to gear. (Scary) when you are going 60 miles an hour or 70 just to give speed judgment the truck will kick in and out of gear at those speeds. (Scary) Now I am having to pay 7600 dollars to have a new transmission installed in the 2018 F-150 truck through Ford.

2018 f150 5.0 engine 102k miles burned 8 qts of oil in 8,000 miles, now the engine is getting rebuilt and I just bought it 8k miles ago. Also the transmission cuts power completely while shifting causing a safety concern. 10 speed transmission is in the truck, worst transmission and engine I’ve ever had out of any vehicle I’ve ever owned.

Oil consumption is excessive.

2018 f150 5.0L engine. Uses excessive oil. Usually have to add 2-3 qts of oil between oil changes. Numerous times (over 20) I have stopped and vehicle would not start because oil level was too low. Happened multiple times before I knew what was causing this issue. Same vehicle transmission will shift from 4th gear to 2nd causing engine to rev high and jerk one forward. Ford knows about the oil issues with these engines. This is causing unwanted expense with having to add oil between changes, excessive engine wear, and damage to other engine components and exhaust system components.

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.

When I tow my boat the starter overheats and when I stop to get gas I have trouble starting the engine or it won't start at all until the engine cools completely.

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

When my truck shifts, your be going down the road and then it downshifts and RPM going up, then it goes in between gears..

All vehicles for maks from 1017to 1024is having transmission issues with the 1080R transmission. I would be driving down the hwy and it would continuously kick in and out of gears. Which is because it has a drum internally which is faulty. Ford knows there's a problem and won't address it. So many people are having to pay for a complete transmission replacement. My vehicle had about 78000 miles only and cost me almost 9000 dollars.

I received a recall on my 2018 F-150 to update / reprogram the PCM. The truck had been running well and had not had any check engine lights on (at least since I have owned it). The recall work was done at a local Ford dealer on 2-17-2025. On [XXX], the check engine light came on. The truck was taken to a local mechanic who scanned the code and said it indicated that one of the catalytic converters needed replaced. The light went out about a week later, but came back on [XXX]. I believe the check engine light coming on is related to / caused by the recall in which the PCM was updated. I contacted the service department where the recall work was performed. He said the dealership could scan the check engine code, but it would cost $200-$300 and I would be responsible for that cost. After reading about many similar cases online in which other people believe the recall work has now caused check engine codes indicating there is a problem with the catalytic converter(s). I contacted FORD customer service and opened a case (case # [XXX] ). I was told by the dealer that the truck could go into limp mode at any point and would be basically undrivable at that point and potentially cause a dangerous situation - especially in traffic or if towing a trailer. I am getting no where with the dealer or FORD customer service. I believe the problem has been caused by the recall in which the PCM was updated. I would greatly appreciate this concern being investigated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT

The vehicle hesitates to take off, it jerks, has harsh shifting, skips gears and yesterday at a stop sign when I tried to go forward, it rolled backward.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on a state highway at 50 MPH, the transmission started slipping, and the vehicle jerked and lost automotive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over onto the shoulder lane, and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.