2018 Ford F-150 complaints

Backup camera was so blurry couldn’t see truck that was parked behind and backed into front bumper causing dent and bumper needed to be replaced.

V6 eco boost 10 speed transmission is failing with 135,000 miles. Need to be replaced.

After Ford performed a PCM (Powertrain Control Module) reprogramming recall on 16 July 2025, the vehicle began experiencing repeated engine misfires, loss of power, and engine warning lights. The condition progressively worsened, leading to a leaking fuel injector, an EGR valve that stuck open, and eventual internal engine damage requiring full engine replacement. These failures involve PCM-controlled systems (ignition timing, fuel injection, and exhaust gas recirculation) and occurred shortly after the recall calibration. The issue has been confirmed and documented by an authorized Ford dealer. The truck has become unsafe to drive due to stalling and shuddering at highway speeds, which could pose a risk of loss of vehicle control. Warning lamps and a wrench icon appeared intermittently before the engine shuttering and loss of power. The vehicle and all repair documentation are available for inspection upon request.

The transmission down shifts in critical situations unexpectedly nearly causing wrecks.

NHTSA Complaint Statement (2018 Ford F-150, 10R80 Transmission – CDF Drum Issue) I am filing this complaint regarding the automatic 10R80 transmission installed in my 2018 Ford F-150. This transmission suffers from a well-documented defect involving the CDF drum, which is a critical component for clutch engagement and shift control. The defect causes a variety of unsafe conditions, including erratic shifting, gear slippage, harsh engagement, hesitation on acceleration, surging between gears, and sudden or complete loss of drive power. These failures occur unpredictably, placing both the driver and others at risk. In my experience, and in the reports of many other owners, the transmission will sometimes delay engagement when pulling into traffic or attempting to merge, leaving the vehicle vulnerable to collision. At other times, the truck surges forward without smooth control when shifting, or drops into neutral-like conditions, preventing acceleration. This behavior is not only inconvenient but represents a serious safety hazard that could easily result in an accident at highway speeds or in intersections. Ford Motor Company has released multiple technical service bulletins related to the 10R80 transmission and its harsh shifting behavior, yet none provide a lasting repair for the CDF drum defect. In most cases, the only available remedy is costly transmission replacement or complete rebuild, often well before expected service life. This is clearly not normal wear-and-tear bu

Unexpected gear shift while driving Harsh or erratic shifting Hesitation between gears Unexpected lunging or jerking This is the transmission. Loss of power on roads. Yes, gears skipping gears. Gears skipped are gear 2, gear 4, gear 5 gear 8. Complete loss of gear power or forward movement on gear 4 RPM will rise to 3.5 to 4. RPMS. I have to let RPM come back down and then I will have control over throttle. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer yet. No warning lamps, no messages or other symptoms. Mechanic near me checked of codes and none showed. The truck is not giving any warning lights either. However, problems still continue.

The transmission is failing, automotive shops have told us that a transmission rebuild or replacement is needed. They found the transmission fluid "in bad shape" with "lots of metal". The transmission downshifts harshly, it hesitates, and there is gear slippage. It is quickly degrading and will no longer be drivable soon. This is a result of Ford's design or manufacturing flaws with the 10R80 engine. The truck has 94K miles.

Shortly after I purchased my 2018 f150 in April of 2018 I brought it back to my dealer in June stating that it was shifting hard in and out of 5th gear. My service advisor at that time said his f150 was doing the same thing. They plugged it into their computer and stated that there was no problem. Subsequent trips back for the same problem resulted in the same answers. Now in September of 2025 on the 26th, with 56k miles on the truck the transmission is lunging so hard at stops that it feels like I was hit from behind.

This truck has been in the shop 4 different times due to the transmission shifting erratically, jumping between gears, loss of power, and hard shifting. Ford knows this is a problem with the 10R80 transmission, YOU know this is a problem with the 10R80 transmission. Yesterday while driving 55mph the truck shifted itself into 1st gear, the truck momentarily jerked, the rpm’s shot up to 5000 and then the truck just lost all power like it was in neutral and wouldn’t move. After almost getting hit by the car behind me and the car coming at me, I drifted off the road and it took ten minutes before it would go into gear correctly, at which time I drove it slowly home with the flashers on. Now I have to take it back to the shop for the 5th time for this same dangerous problem. I am aware as I know that you are too of the numerous class action lawsuits around the country against Ford for this issue with millions of vehicles. Yet you sit on your hands not ordering Ford to issue a recall. Do your job!

Rattle or knocking sound from the engine, particularly on startup with only 30,000 miles on it started happening around 20,000 miles now I have my truck jerking when I hit the gas before it is apparently saying this is not on recall even though it should be because this is not my fault and clearly these parts are really bad or they did not have it tuned correctly somehow

The 2018 Ford F150 is notorious for the connection for the rear defroster on the rear window to fall off. There is no real good way to repair this. This leaves it impossible to clear the rear window from snow and ice. This causes extreme visibility issues when attempting to back up and see what is behind you.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera went black. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds intermittently, the infotainment screen went black. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

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.

The rear view camera is blurry because of moisture intrusion making the rear view camera unusable at times

A defect in the 2018-2020 Ford F-150's 5.0-liter V8 "Coyote" engine that causes excessive oil consumption, potentially leading to engine failure, reduced efficiency, and increased emissions. Ford concealed this defect not letting owners know and didn’t issue a recall. The oil dip always reads as if there is not enough oil in the truck causing you to have to constantly top off oil which is always over the usual amount of oil needed. The excessive oil consumption and potential carbon deposits can lead to severe engine issues, including stalling or even complete engine failure. This has caused other issues. This oil consumption defect has been there since I purchased this vehicle causing oil changes sooner than needed. A manufacturing defects in the 2018-2020 Ford 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission, commonly found in newer F-150 trucks, causing issues like harsh/erratic shifting, jerking, and power loss. The erratic shifting and power loss can pose a safety risk, especially when accelerating, merging, or in traffic. Ford concealed this defect not letting owners know and didn’t issue a recall. I also, have had transmission defects that has needed repairs and replacement due to Power-shift dual-clutch, harsh shifting and power failure. My trucks have had two transmission major repairs. The first time on 9/6/22 at 36,541 miles the whole transmission had to be replaced completely due to powertrain or reduced engine power. Then again on 9/20/25 at 62,948 miles same issue Powertrai

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.

There is a know design defect in the cam phaser on the 3.5L EB motors. Ford knows this exists. They have since redesigned the Phasor system to correct this defect. This isn't wear, or use related. It is completely a byproduct of a defective design. The issue is that the repair costs over $7,000, none of which Ford will cover. IT is a known design problem. It is not due to wear, or accident, it is simply an engineering problem. Ford should be required to at least partially compensate owners for this known problem. My motor has less than 50,000 miles on it, and I just spent $7400 getting it repaired. That's about half the cost of a crate motor. It is simply not right for ford to sell a motor with defective compmonents, and expect the owners to pay for their design problems.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission temperature became elevated. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle, but the transmission failed to shift into gear as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where metallic debris was found in the transmission fluid. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

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.

I have 2018 F150 with the 10R80 transmission. At 140K it started to neutralize and hard jerk back into 9th-10th gear at 60mph or highway speed. Sometimes when driving from a complete stop and then proceed forward, it would rev the rpm’s up to 5K and hard jerk into first gear. I took it to ford, they confirmed they knew about the issue it was a bad design on the bushing and that there was Technical service bulletin about it. I called ford corporate and they said they could not help and it was on me, even for a bad design. So for something they knew was a bad design and instead of recalling and fixing the issue I had to fork out like 4500 for the transmission to be rebuilt with the new bushing.

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..

Back up camera works sporadically. Parking guide lines have disappeared, parking collision warning goes off for no reason. Cross traffic alert does not work sometimes.

My back up camera just shows blue or static. It just randomly happened but everything else works and the screen shows fine when not in reverse.

The brake system on my 2018 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost began failing around early 2025 with a brake warning light illuminating and the pedal feeling soft, signaling a problem. The brake fluid reservoir dropped low repeatedly despite topping it off multiple times with DOT 3 fluid, indicating a persistent leak. By 09:52 AM CDT today, September 10, 2025, the brake pedal lost all pressure, making the vehicle completely undrivable and posing a severe safety risk due to significantly increased stopping distances and potential brake failure. At 10:37 AM CDT, thick white smoke started billowing from the exhaust each time the vehicle was started, likely from brake fluid leaking into the engine via the brake booster, a symptom matching Ford recall 25S37 (NHTSA 25V236) for a defective brake master cylinder seal. This failure endangers the driver, passengers, and other road users, as the truck is a primary vehicle, with the smoke suggesting a fire hazard and possible engine damage like stalling or misfires. The issue is reproducible, with the warning light, fluid loss, and soft/no pedal persisting since early 2025, worsening today with the smoke appearing consistently on startup. It has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center yet, as the vehicle is undrivable, but I plan to tow it to a Ford dealership for inspection under the recall. No manufacturer, police, insurance, or other inspection has occurred, as the smoke issue escalated this morning; prior rear left electronic parking b

Rear view camera is blurry. Can no longer clearly see obstacles while backing up. Camera problem was reproduced and repaired by the dealer.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud noise simultaneously coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected, and the contact became aware that the tailgate had unexpectedly opened. The contact closed the tailgate. On another occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that a large toolbox with 6-foot drawers fell from the vehicle onto the road. The contact stated that the toolbox falling from the vehicle could have caused injuries to other drivers. The contact used a bungee cord to secure the tailgate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

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

Known sunroof issue with ford with the plastic tracks breaking and sunroof refuse to open/close. Ford issued a TSB and forums have many ford owners with same issue.

I have 114,000 miles on my truck. Without warning, my truck shifted from 10 gear down to 1st while driving 70 miles per hour. The force of the downshift caused the wheels to lock up and I almost lost control of the vehicle. I took the vehicle to the dealership and the repairs was over $10K. There are countless issues detailed on the internet with transmission failures for this vehicle but yet, Ford has not owned up to the defect.

My cam phasers are failing for the third time. I purchased this vehicle used last year at 89,000 miles and now I have 101,000 miles on it. Before I got to 100,000 miles I started hearing a rattle on start up and didn’t know what it was. After researching it by the time, I figured it out I had over 100,000 miles And Ford says they will not do anything about it, although it is a known issue and they had a customer satisfaction program to address it. They should’ve had a recall because it is a severe product defect that if left unaddressed will ruin your engine. It appears from Ford’s records that my vehicle had its cam phasers replaced twice in 2021. And they did a redesign of the part, but they didn’t put the redesign part on my vehicle and it is now failing again. The repair cost at a minimum of $3500. If I don’t fix it, all the mechanics say it will affect my timing and eventually my engine will be destroyed. Yep Ford tries to say it is only a noise issue and they didn’t issue a recall. If you look on any Ford F150 form, this is a well-known well documented issue and probably should be a class action lawsuit at this point.

Auto start stop. This has happened on several occasions where I will be traveling at highway speeds and my 2018 F-150 10 speed 10R80 Transmisson with a 5.0-liter motor has died while traveling. I have talked to Ford Engineering reps, and they say they have never heard of this. I have done research into the subject and there have been hundreds of reports of the same issue. I have an appointment scheduled for Ford to look into the issue.

Ford issued a service bulletin for a computer adjustment for a known cam phaser issue on the 3.5 eco boost engine while under warranty. This didn’t fix the problem. Now the cam phasers need to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars and Ford refuses to do anything to assist even though this was initially reported and taken to the dealer while under warranty. The internet is full of people with this same issue. The vehicle is at the dealer for repairs and they have confirmed this is the problem. Without the repair the engine will fail.

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 po

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the oil pan was leaking oil. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact replaced the oil drain plug but continued to see oil leaking from the oil pan. The contact researched online and determined that there was a design flaw in the oil pan, which was a two-piece oil pan design. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed Technical Service Bulletin, which addressed the failure with the two-piece oil pan by replacing it with a one-piece oil pan that was made of metal. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the oil pan needed to be replaced with a single-piece oil pan. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the vehicle jerked abnormally and unintendedly upshifted. The “Service Transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal transmission failure and a fractured valve cover. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,700.

Cam phasers failed as they have with other 2018 f-150s with the twin turbo v6. Had dealer repair but was told truck vin wasn’t included in recall. Paid for myself. Contacted ford and was told they would not refund me due to my vin not being in the recall

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH in inclement weather, the windshield wipers were operating slower than normal before becoming inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiper motor was intermittently inoperative. The wiper linkage was removed, and the dealer became aware that the passenger’s side wiper had seized, and the motor and wiper arm linkage needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,692.

On April 2025 Grieco Ford of Delray Beach Florida send a technician over my house to repair a recall they had on my 2018 F150 and at that time I had a engine light on After he fixed the recall on the next day my Stereo stop working completely and also the backup camera I made a complaint and They sent a unqualified technician over my house to see what was wrong And after he left my engine light came on again and I still have no Stereo . All the technician told me was that the recall had nothing to do with the Stereo failure I told the technician that it was too much of a coincidence that my Stereo failure . Believe or Not I thank God they sent a unqualified technician because like the first it tried to repair one thing and screwed up another ,that way you people know what I’m trying to explain. I made a research and its very rarely that a 2018 has stereo issues. I’m not saying that it could not happen But it’s too much of coincidence My Truck never had any problems at all Only brakes and tires and off course oil changes I don’t even care if they give me a used Stereo,as long it works

Transmission: Delayed shift/hesitation at low speed after take-off. Risk of loss of motion while crossing traffic. Consistently happens at low speed shift change, doesn't matter if on flat or incline. A lot of other owners complaining of same exact issue, Ford has yet to acknowledge that there's a flaw in the drivetrain.

Transmission started shifting very erratically, skipping, and hanging in gears. The rear end would lock up and the tires would screech. On the highway, during downshifts, the vehicle would hang and shift hard, jerking the vehicle in heavy traffic. Could not maintain safe speeds.

My truck only has 61,000 miles and it started skipping gears and down shifting suddenly and I loose power and it stalls out in intersections. When it shifts it goes into neutral and my motor races making it extremely dangerous on the highway. I had a transmission tuneup done for $500 but it didn’t help. It got worse over a weeks time and I took it back to the mechanic because a wrench came up on my dashboard. He ran a check and 4th gear was shot. So now I need a new transmission. 2014 f150 had a recall. Several people I know with the same year as mine 2018 have the same problem.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. While the contact’s son was driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a screeching sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear axle had fractured at the differential housing. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the same failure had occurred twice on a previously owned 2013 Ford F-150. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Transmission will either get stuck in a gear and won't accelerate or will shift down on its own and cause the car to jump and buck.

Reporting this because I'd like to add to the several other claims on this transmission. 80,000miles and transmission all the sudden started stalling out of first and between 3rd and 4th gear. No accidents, but nearly got rear ended several times after I pulled out in traffic and it stalled between gears. A couple of weeks later the transmission started downshifting from 9th and 10th gear all the way to first gear. Again, luckily no accidents, but it could have been very bad. Took truck into Ford dealer service center. They inspected and said the transmission was "trashed" inside and would need to be replaced. It only has 80,000 miles!!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH and while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the right side of the roadway and turned off, and then restarted the vehicle but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The “WRENCH” symbol was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

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.

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 compartment. After the engine had reached normal operating temperatures, the rattling ceased, 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 cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. 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 70,000.

The Cam Phase Shifters and timing chain have failed with only 83k miles resulting in a $7,500 repair. This is unacceptable. I would completely understand if it had 250k miles but this is a baby as far as mileage. Looking at f-150 forums this appears to be a common problem and ford has actually changed the design of the cam phase shifters so they know they are defective. Request you loook into this issue please.

I bought the truck new in 2018. In 2020, the transmission was rebuilt twice, and then a new one was installed. The automatic 10-speed transmission changes gears roughly and now I'm having the same problem with the transmission just abruptly switching gears up and down. It's a serious concern for me when I am cruising at 70 mph on I-95, and all of a sudden, the gears start randomly shifting, dropping to 3rd gear from 10th and then up to 7th, and then repeatedly shifting gears up and down.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and then went off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with solenoid valve failure. The contact was informed that the solenoid valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the oil needed to be changed at 3,000 miles instead of 5,000 miles. The contact stated that in 2024, the camshaft, seals, gaskets, and four VCT solenoids were replaced. In addition, an oil consumption test was performed; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being 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 96,700.