2018 Ford F-150 problems

POWER TRAIN

SAFETY HAZARD & RISK ​The 10R80 transmission exhibits sudden, unpredictable gear slipping, power loss, and violent slamming/lunging during gear shifts while navigating active traffic. This erratic behavior creates an immediate collision risk when merging, accelerating, or changing lanes, as the truck unexpectedly loses momentum or lunges forward. ​INCIDENT & REPAIR HISTORY ​The vehicle required two complete transmission overhauls under 68,000 miles at Apple Ford (Columbia, MD), both confirmed by certified technicians and warranty inspectors: ​Overhaul #1 (Invoice #273111 | Aug 14, 2024 | 42,571 miles): Diagnosed under TSB 24-2101 for shift failure. The dealer overhauled the valve body and replaced internal components, including the CDF drum (Part #JL3Z7H351B). ​Overhaul #2 (Invoice #351672 | Sep 11, 2026 | 67,587 miles): Less than 25,000 miles later, severe slipping and 5th gear binding recurred. Teardown revealed a sticking main pressure control valve, burnt E & F clutch packs, and an outdated CDF drum. The dealer replaced the complete valve body (Part #JL3Z7A100CRM), installed a redesigned CDF cylinder (Part #PC3Z7B177A), and replaced scorched clutch/steel plates. ​COMPLAINT RESPONSE SUMMARY ​System Failed: 10R80 Transmission (CDF drum sleeve migration, sticking valve body, burnt E & F clutches). Vehicle is available for inspection. ​Safety Risk: Sudden power loss and violent lunging in active traffic, creating severe collision hazards. ​Confirmed by Dealer: Yes. Diagnosed and verified twice by Apple Ford master technicians. ​Inspected By: Authorized Ford dealer technicians and an official warranty company inspector. ​Symptoms/Timeline: No warning lights appeared prior to failure. Physical symptoms (slipping, violent slamming) first appeared before Aug 2024 (42,571 miles) and recurred in July 2026 (67,587 miles).

NHTSA complaint #11763889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Started with harsh shifting, lead to no shifting and no movement. Shifting came back and lunged forward and harsh stop. Happened multiple times and now vehicle will not move.

NHTSA complaint #11763891 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I am getting heavy water intrusion from the rear sliding glass window after any rain. It creates a very musty unpleasant odor in the cab. I am concerned that my young children, my wife, and myself are breathing mold spores and or other dangerous airborne particles from this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11763544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Loss of power while acceleration from a stop sign. Vehicle would not shift into gear and acted like it could only drive very slowly. Repair shop inspected it and stated that the transmission needed work and would cost 8200.00 to fix issue that has a TSB out meaning ford knows about the issue

NHTSA complaint #11762538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I have a 10 speed automatic transmission that intermittently works in 2nd and third gears. It began doing this at 60,000 miles. I'm not sure if it is the adaptive learning transmission control module (TCM) or the transmission itself. Ford dealer wants over $10,000 to replace transmission. The car is unsafe when pulling into traffic and it won't accelerate half the time.

NHTSA complaint #11762568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Loss of power while acceleration from a stop sign. Vehicle would not shift into gear and acted like it could only drive very slowly. Repair shop inspected it and stated that the transmission needed work and would cost 8200.00 to fix issue that has a TSB out meaning ford knows about the issue

NHTSA complaint #11762538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Spray on liners of cylinder walls absorbing oil and allowing it to pass through

NHTSA complaint #11762409 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My Ford F-150 Supercrew XLT 10R80 10-speed completely failed resulting Ford replacing it with a new transmission unit for a cost to be of $7,300. As the transmission failed at 96,000 miles the gears would be skipped with harsh shifting, not fully engaging 4th gear and at times while driving would refused to shift into any gear and high revs and me unable to accelerate. I was nearly involved in a crash when I would pull out into traffic legally but suddenly unable to accelerate and approaching cara from the rear needed to suddenly brake and change lanes to avoid a collision. All diagnosis was conducted by Ford. At first it cost me approximately $300 for them to drain and fill transmission fluid. When that didn't fix the problem they then said it was the DCF drum failure at a cost of $5000. When they were unable to fix it they informed me that they needed to install a brand new transmission at a cost of $7,300. Current mileage is approximately 98,300 miles. As a prior certified LEO Traffic Homicide Investigator, I was terrified driving the truck knowing what could happed if it failed as I was crossing traffic or pulling out and fail, as is had already and therefore I was unable to use my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11762071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

1st problem transmission: Hard shifting up and down in certain gears. 3 gear seems the worst. When slowing down to almost stop it down shifts and lurks forward which can cause a safety issue. Loud banging noise when it does this hard shift. 2nd problem when starting the truck up get a loud chain rattle. Think it’s the phaser/cam rattle I keep reading about with no fix. Mileage on my truck is 63,000 miles never tow or haul anything. Crazy ford can sell something like this and be ok with it.

NHTSA complaint #11761611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting erratically. The contact stated that the transmission shifted from 1st gear to 7th gear and back to 1st gear. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light was illuminated after the failure. During an oil change service, the contact described the failure to an independent mechanic, who performed a diagnostic test but found no transmission failure. The contact was advised that NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V375000 (Power Train); recall repair could repair the vehicle; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact notified the manufacturer by telephone. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11761627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

10R80 Transmission Delays when shifting and when it does engage its harsh shifts.

NHTSA complaint #11761667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

No oil in between changes check engine light came one

NHTSA complaint #11761768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

No oil in between changes check engine light came one

NHTSA complaint #11761768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Direct failure of Cam phasers and confirmation. This led to erratic engine runtime leading to transmission shifting learned behaviors based on the bogus engine information. This causes erratic hardshifting into drive and most importantly dropping gears on the highway resulting in unsafe driving conditions at random. This includes both random downshifts at highway speed and a similar situation when accelerating the wrong gear is engaged both causing unsafe conditions for the driver and those surrounding. Upon phaser replacement the engine then ran correctly and transmission was reset both KAM tables and learned behavior to rectify the transmission safety challenges. This should at least be a TSB not just a mystery to owners and dealers alike.

NHTSA complaint #11761411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Direct failure of Cam phasers and confirmation. This led to erratic engine runtime leading to transmission shifting learned behaviors based on the bogus engine information. This causes erratic hardshifting into drive and most importantly dropping gears on the highway resulting in unsafe driving conditions at random. This includes both random downshifts at highway speed and a similar situation when accelerating the wrong gear is engaged both causing unsafe conditions for the driver and those surrounding. Upon phaser replacement the engine then ran correctly and transmission was reset both KAM tables and learned behavior to rectify the transmission safety challenges. This should at least be a TSB not just a mystery to owners and dealers alike.

NHTSA complaint #11761411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate and jerked and hesitated. The contact stated that the transmission upshifted from 1st to 3rd gear and then from 3rd to 7th gear. During the failure the WRENCH symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be repaired, and the CDF drum need to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA complaint #11760925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V373000 (Exterior Lighting) and Customer Satisfaction Program: 25N17 (Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation); however, the failure occurred after the repairs were performed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Parking Brake Engaged" message displayed, and the blind spot sensor became inoperable. An unknown warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the TPMS was inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA complaint #11760931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost with approximately 93,000 miles. I am experiencing a repeated cold start cam phaser rattle. This is a known issue addressed by Ford in several TSBs, including 19-2365, yet no recall has been issued. It has been "repaired" once at approximately 40,000 miles only to have the same issue reoccur at which time I was told that rattling at startup is "normal" and "since it doesn't persist it is not an issue". No IC gasoline engine should rattle on startup, and I believe this defect poses long-term reliability concerns and will lead to engine damage and failure during operation. Ford should be held responsible for a widespread design flaw affecting thousands of vehicles. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this recurring issue and hold Ford accountable for consumer safety and financial impact.

NHTSA complaint #11761037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V373000 (Exterior Lighting) and Customer Satisfaction Program: 25N17 (Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation); however, the failure occurred after the repairs were performed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Parking Brake Engaged" message displayed, and the blind spot sensor became inoperable. An unknown warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the TPMS was inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA complaint #11760931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 4WD with approximately 24,600 miles. While traveling approximately 70 MPH on the highway in 2H with cruise control operating, I suddenly heard an extremely loud metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting noise from the driver's-side front wheel area. The noise caused immediate concern about a possible front wheel or drivetrain failure. I disengaged cruise control and the grinding stopped. Within approximately 50 miles on the same trip, the grinding occurred a second time while again traveling approximately 70 MPH in 2H without cruise engaged. Because of the severity of the noise, I pulled over on the side of the highway and inspected the vehicle. I found nothing visibly wrong and resumed driving. The condition has since occurred two additional times while accelerating from a stop in 2H. These incidents were less severe but involved the same metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting from the driver's-side front wheel area. I have also noticed a brief air/vacuum-type "whoosh" immediately before the grinding occurs. My Ford service manager directed me to Ford TSB 24-2188, which addresses grinding/clicking/ratcheting from the front wheel area associated with partial engagement of the Integrated Wheel End (IWE). The truck is scheduled for diagnosis but has not yet been formally diagnosed. I contacted Ford Customer Satisfaction, case CXH-090-0329-26-V5R9-P-5. Ford declined assistance due to vehicle age despite the low mileage. I am reporting this because the condition has occurred four times, including twice unexpectedly at 70 MPH. I am concerned about the safety implications of a front wheel-end component potentially partially engaging at highway speed and believe this warrants NHTSA review.

NHTSA complaint #11759735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 4WD with approximately 24,600 miles. While traveling approximately 70 MPH on the highway in 2H with cruise control operating, I suddenly heard an extremely loud metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting noise from the driver's-side front wheel area. The noise caused immediate concern about a possible front wheel or drivetrain failure. I disengaged cruise control and the grinding stopped. Within approximately 50 miles on the same trip, the grinding occurred a second time while again traveling approximately 70 MPH in 2H without cruise engaged. Because of the severity of the noise, I pulled over on the side of the highway and inspected the vehicle. I found nothing visibly wrong and resumed driving. The condition has since occurred two additional times while accelerating from a stop in 2H. These incidents were less severe but involved the same metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting from the driver's-side front wheel area. I have also noticed a brief air/vacuum-type "whoosh" immediately before the grinding occurs. My Ford service manager directed me to Ford TSB 24-2188, which addresses grinding/clicking/ratcheting from the front wheel area associated with partial engagement of the Integrated Wheel End (IWE). The truck is scheduled for diagnosis but has not yet been formally diagnosed. I contacted Ford Customer Satisfaction, case CXH-090-0329-26-V5R9-P-5. Ford declined assistance due to vehicle age despite the low mileage. I am reporting this because the condition has occurred four times, including twice unexpectedly at 70 MPH. I am concerned about the safety implications of a front wheel-end component potentially partially engaging at highway speed and believe this warrants NHTSA review.

NHTSA complaint #11759735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the lock mechanism to drop the spare tire was rusted and failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the failure failed to allow for the spare tire from being lowered. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. However, the dealer confirmed that the lock was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.

NHTSA complaint #11759756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

My 2018 Ford F-150 is experiencing a dangerous loss of braking power, a soft/spongy brake pedal, and brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster. These are the exact symptoms and component failures described in Ford Recall Campaign 25S37 (NHTSA Campaign 25V236). However, when checking my VIN, I am told my truck is excluded from the recall population. Because my vehicle is exhibiting the identical safety defect, the current recall window is too narrow and needs to be expanded to cover my vehicle before a serious collision occurs.

NHTSA complaint #11759856 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the steering wheel cover covering the driver’s side air bag was cracked. The dealer was contacted and stated that a special engineer was needed for the repair because the crack was located on air bag housing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA complaint #11759375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was required to complete the recall 24E12 on my 2018 ford F 150 2.7L eco boost XLT. Upon completion the check engine light comes on. I looked into this and this is an ongoing problem with the emissions recall . I scanned for a code and P0430 is coming up. (Catalyst System). I contacted the dealership and ford corporate and they will not help assist in resolving this issue. I explained my vehicle was working fine until the mandatory emissions recall was completed and that under the good will assistance I should be covered for Some compensation fixing this vehicle. I was denied any additional help. I as a loyal customer for many years don’t believe that it is my responsibility to pay a full bill for a new converter when it was their recall that caused the issue on an already perfectly fine vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11759569 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.