2018 Ford F-150 complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who reset the emissions light; however, the failure persisted. The failure became more persistent over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that there was an emissions failure due to a failed catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Ford has a known design issue with the 10 speed transmission in this truck that cause the hydraulic clutch to leak fluid. This causes the truck to shift very harshly, miss gears, and randomly down-shift, or jump out of gear. This is an issue that prompted them to create a TSB specifically to address this issue. My truck only has 85,000 miles on it and I will most likely be needing a new transmission in result of this issue. This design flaw was recognized by Ford and was designed out of the newer version of the 10 speed transmission. This issue also can not be fixed by replacing the part like in kind. It requires it to replaced with a differently designed part. You do not know when the transmission is going to loose hydraulic pressure due to the clutch leaking fluid, it has happened when I have been pulling into traffic and it has also happened when I have been cruising down the road at maintained speed. It does not do it consistently. I have gone an entire month without having issues. As of late it is now doing it on a regular basis and I will have to take it to the dealership to be serviced. This issue is widespread across all vehicles with the 10 speed transmission from 2017-2020. TSB 25-2018. This isn't a repair that can be made by a consumer, it has to be made by a Ford dealership.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently downshifted into first gear. 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 not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and an estimate was provided for the cost of the transmission replacement. 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 122,787.

Plastic oil pan and plastic drain plug leaks due to improper sealing

The contact called on behalf of his son who owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving on the highway with the cruise control set to 60 MPH, the transmission started slipping and the message “Service Vehicle Soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local Advanced Auto Parts where a handheld scanner was used to retrieved DTC: 176 (HEGO sensor circuit indicates system lean – left side). The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,536.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized as if the vehicle was in park(P) with the vehicle turned off. The contact stated that the vehicle was still running. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who advised the contact to have the vehicle towed to a local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormally loud rattling sound on cold starts. The contact related the failure to TSB Numbers: 23-2143 and 21N03. The dealer and Ferman Ford (727) 797-2277); were 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 65,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough shifting and made an abnormal clunking sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to have the adaptive learning cable reset. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

10 speed transmission. Began to shift had in and out of 8th gear. When shifting out of 3rd, it would lose power and slow down. While traveling highway speed, it suddenly shifted from 10th down to 1st for a brief time before getting back in gear. This caused me to take my foot off of the gas and begin applying the brake while traveling on the freeway.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was off, the contact became aware there was condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not able to be replicated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the oil pan and cooler lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked with an abnormal ticking sound coming from the front of the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E027000 (Suspension), which was received in 2021. The vehicle was previously repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall was closed since the vehicle was previously repaired. The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 112,900.

This vehicle is using oil in a rate of about 7-8 quarts every 2000-2500 miles. When the oil dipstick is checked there is not a drop of oil on the dipstick. I have spoken with the dealership concerning this matter and the suggestion from FORD was to purchase another dipstick, which would cost my pocket book around $600. The dealership indicated that there is a service bulletin out at FORD addressing this very issue, however FORD Motor Company will not pay for the repair. There is no way a brand new vehicle should be using this much oil in that little of miles driven. I have searched the web and found hundred of vehicle owners who are describing the exact very nature that I am reporting. FORD's fix was to put thicker oil in the motor and change the oil dipstick. Can you please contact me in regards to my complaint about this issue. My name is [XXX] , [XXX] ; phone number [XXX] ; email address: [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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The transmission independently downshifted into first gear. The vehicle was uncontrollable and crashed into the median. The contact stated the failure was persistent and had occurred several times. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle sometimes jerked forward and hard-shifted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall of the transmission, however, the contact did not receive updates regarding the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Started slipping last year

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle jerked while in first gear and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after opening a Ford Pass account and profile, the software was stuck in a learning loop. The transmission seized, skipped, jerked, and the vehicle lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a bushing was lodged in the axle tube and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was reset. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

Purchased vehicle new 11/2018. Took vehicle in per notices from Ford 02/2019 and again on 04/2022 regarding transmission problems. Was advised computer reprogramming would solve problems. Problems with rough shifting continued but was advised by dealer "trans to relearn shift points and may feel firmer than normal". Began experiencing harsher shifting in mid-2023 that has continued. In January 2025 rough shifting progresed to significant shifting issues both accelerating and decelerating and cannot be driven with any confidence. I attempted to have dealer address the problem in 03/2025 but were unable to even examine, hence I sought out an opinion from an independent transmission repair shop and was quoted $8200 for a new transmission (if available). I reached out to the dealer's Service Manager who has acknowledged Ford is aware of many complaints regarding 10/R/80 Transmission problems in model year 2018 Ford F150 Pickup Trucks, but says he is unable to offer any solution because the warranty has expired and Ford refuses to issue a recall. The dealer has advised the transmission must be replaced at my expense and have been quoted $6600 for a Ford remanufactured transmission replacement. Noteworthy, the vehicle has 80,000 miles on it and was told by a Service Writer at the dealer Ford does not recommend transmission service until 100,000 miles. In the meantime I have learned the 10/R/80 Transmission issues are wide spread and is the subject of a Class Action Lawsuit.

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 with 56,000 miles, and I have been experiencing serious and unpredictable transmission issues. These problems first started around 48,000 miles, but at the time, I assumed it was normal behavior. However, the issues have progressively worsened, and by 55,000 miles, a wrench warning light started appearing intermittently. Symptoms: •While driving at highway speeds, the transmission unexpectedly drops from 10th gear to 1st gear, causing a sudden and severe deceleration. •The gear shifts are jerky, unpredictable, and rough, making it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle. •The wrench warning light appears occasionally but disappears quickly, making diagnosis difficult. •No diagnostic trouble codes (D DTCs) are stored or retrieved when scanned at multiple repair shops. •The issue happens intermittently, making it challenging to replicate on demand. •Started noticing issues at 48k miles, but they became significantly worse around 50k miles when the wrench light began appearing. •I called Ford to reset the radio/computer software, after hearing it might help, but it did not resolve the issue. •The unpredictable transmission behavior causes severe anxiety while driving, as I never know when it will happen again. Attempts to Fix: •I have taken my truck to multiple repair shops and Ford dealerships, but since no codes are present, they have been unable to diagnose or fix the issue. •Mechanics have checked for transmission recalls or software updates, but

This has been going on since approximately the first of this year. Daily incidents to this date. Truck slips into neutral while driving or braking.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slipped, and the vehicle jerked. The RPM fluctuated, and the engine revved, but the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the CDF cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2365. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to change a tire, the contact became aware that the provided tools were unable to be used to complete the wheel replacement. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact was informed that the lug nuts needed to be forcefully removed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000. The VIN was not available.

The transmission is experiencing delayed engagement, harsh shifting, and slipping out of gear. It is at the dealership and available for inspection at this time. The dealer has inspected the transmission and reported that it failed and needs to be replaced. Ford company has been notified and will be conducting their own inspection soon. There were no warning lamps, but this has happened before. This will be the third transmission for this truck. The original transmission was replaced in April 2022 for the same issues. Now three years later, it needs to be replaced again for the same issues. There are several lawsuits against Ford for this particular transmission and multiple TSB’s.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated over time upon starting his vehicle an abnormal rattling noise could be heard coming from the engine, and no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the camshaft phasers were faulty and that they would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,445. The contact referenced Customer Satisfaction Programs 21B10, 21N03, and 21N08 as probable cause for the failure.

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.

This truck was supposed to be recalled under the Transmission recall for 10r80 and I noticed while conducting a decode on the vin number that the type and kind of transmission was never listed so I’m wondering how many people have been going through the same issues as us and if this will get fixed because our vin is not recalled and it should be

My transmission started acting up, as in slipping, missing gears completely, and numerous times while in 10th gear.(10 speed transmission) it tried to drop down to first gear. Scared me pretty bad considering I was on highway. After that it would start out in 4th gear. Someone had told me there was a recall out for this problem, so I looked into it. All this happening is part of a Ford recall yet my vin number is not showing any recalls? I don’t understand so now my truck sits because I can’t afford 10,000 for a new one to be put in. I took it in to the shop to have it looked at, I paid 600 for a transmission filter to be replaced and was told by the owner after he put it on the computer that the only code was a communication error. Didn’t see anything when replacing filter that showed any signs of wear in transmission

Unknown

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03; as the probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

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.

With 83,000 miles, we checked the oil to discover it was empty. Upon taking it to the dealer, they determined that there was severe scoring due to the known PCV value issue under TSB 19-2365 for excessive oil consumption. Prior to this time, there had been no oil issues with the vehicle. Dealer recommended replacement of the engine. The engine was replaced in August 2024 with a remanufactured engine. The oil was changed on December 5, 2024. From that point to February 25, 2025, the oil was checked periodically with 3 quarts of oil being added over that period of time. We took the truck back to the dealer to check to see why there is excessive oil consumption again. The dealer instructed us that they would need to follow the recommended action in TSB 19-2365 to reprogram the powertrain control module, install a new engine oil level indicator, and change the engine oil. We would then need to bring the truck in weekly for the dealer to check the oil to assess whether there was excessive consumption of oil. We asked why the engine would have been replaced in August 2024 with another engine that had the same problem as the engine replaced. Weren't the corrections done to the engine per the TSB 19-2365? We were told they did not know.

We have a 2018 Ford F150 10 speed transmission coyote that was manufactured in Kansas City. Thousands of trucks were recalled because of transmission issues to four manufacturing plants and the manufacturing plant in Kansas was one of them. As thousands of trucks were listed via vin number to the recall our truck was never added and we are wondering why? We have placed thousands of dollars into our vehicle and have maintained its maintenance to be going through the very same issues that the recall has issued on Ford. Our vehicle is at the ford dealership and while we wait to see if ford will assist us under a customer satisfaction program and we pinch every penny to see if we can afford a transmission; we are in awe that our vehicle was never placed in that recall. We need our vehicle vin added to that recall as it should have been in the first place.

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 cam phasers on my 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor are failing now as I hear rattles on a cold start from the engine, which has then been proved out by technicians at the Autonation dealership here in Frisco, Texas. They are suggesting full replacement for all the phasers which causes major safety concerns. I use my car to drop my [XXX] son at daycare every day and drive 30 miles each way to work. I know that Ford offered customer satisfaction program for 2018 manufactured F-150s but somehow the recall doesn't apply to my vehicle. The repair costs are $6k quoted by the dealership I mentioned and it is simply too expensive for us to be able to afford. Therefore, I was wondering if you could please add this recall to my VIN which will allow me to get this safety concern resolved at a Ford dealership. I would really appreciate it if you could do that. Have a great day! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Radio went out not long after I bought it. Nothing on that end works. No back up camera, nothing. Bad apim module. 1400 to replace. It’s such a common issue and should be a recall.

We received a recall letter for Emission recall dealing with the system reading that the catalytic converter is bad. We had this happen a year ago, and had to have the catalytic converter replaced because it was showing it was bad. This recall letter says that it will show it’s bad, but may not be bad. We spent almost $3000 because we live in a state with inspections. This letter shows that it was the computer that messed up. We are trying to deal with Ford to see if we can get reimbursed since there’s a recall on the chip. The recall is emission recall 24E12. The work wouldn’t have needed done if the chip wouldn’t had shown the catalytic converter was bad.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon removing the engine cover, the contact noticed that oil was leaking from the valve cover gasket. The used car dealer was notified of the failure. The Ford dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure. The contact was awaiting a diagnostic test and an estimate from the dealer for the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven slowly to a repair shop where it was diagnosed with fuel intrusion into the catalytic converters, causing the failure. The catalytic converters, fuel injectors, and manifolds were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

10R80 transmission CDF drum broke free and has caused hard shifting, dropping gears entirely ant highway speeds and altogether has lead to my vehicle being parked for months while i save up to replace the transmission. Is a known issues according to 3 different dealerships/transmission shops.

Transmission slipping And as its driving from 4th gear it drops down to 1st gear and it slips wont go into gear and it stops for a couple of seconds

1. The Transmission 2. -While driving at highway speeds the vehicle slipped into neutral multiple times, other vehicles have swerved to avoid our sudden slow down. -Has lurched forward from stop when foot was removed from brake at intersection with pedestrian present. -Stalled completely when auto stop start engaged and impeded cross traffic at night 3. Yes the problem has been reproduced and confirmed multiple times by independent service center. 4. No, the transmission has not been inspected by FORD or anyone else 5. There were no warning lamps, or messages. The only symptom at first was rough shifting. Transmission no longer knows what gear to be in. For example it will move to tenth at 25mph or drop to first gear at 50mph. Adaptive learning computer has been reset multiple times. A warning light started coming on intermittently ("wrench" symbol) after changing fluid. Each time computer has been reset a different code pops up associated with the wrench light coming on.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the door failed to close due to the extreme cold weather. The contact manually rigged the door closed while driving to work. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was water inside the door lock and unlock cables. The contact stated that the rusted cables caused the locking failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,415.

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.

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.

There was something wrong with the Ford 10 speed transmission on my truck - 2018 Ford F 150. The transmission would jerk hard at completely random times. The biggest safety issue was that at times it wouldn't "go" when you pushed on the gas causing a delay that was particularly problematic when you were pulling into traffic. There needs to be a recall. If you google F150 10 speed transmission problems, there have been a myriad of them. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Door latching system is often inoperable when temperatures are below freezing. The door will not latch and must be held close while driving. Vehicle has been repaired once by dealer per bulletin 18N03 but the problem persists.

Complete transmission failure causing lose of power. 2023 Replaced transmission 65,000 miles. 02/14/2025 New transmission 80,000 miles lose of power when accelerating to pass then huge Bang! Truck spent approx. a month or more during warranty to fix 4wd issues.

Transmission shifts hard, also unnecessarily will drop down a gear when driving, then goes back in right gear. The problem would not duplicate when I took it to the dealership. No warning lights. Problem started about a year after we bought it, took it to the dealership and the technician said he updated the computer, but it only helped for about 6 months. The hard shifting does not occur every time you put it into drive or park, but it does do it quite often and is getting worse every day.