2018 Ford F-150 Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2018 Ford F-150. Part of Generation 13 — 2015–2020.

20172019
Complaints
2,646
per 10K Sold
29.1
US Sales
909,330
Crashes
104
Fires
51
Injuries
84
Fatalities
4
Recalls
16

Worst 2018 Ford F-150 Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1844 complaints

Transmission / Drivetrain

Avg mileage:59,326 mi
Crash-related:11
Fires:2
#2485 complaints

Engine Problems

Avg mileage:56,688 mi
Crash-related:6
Fires:5
#3173 complaints

Body Structure

Avg mileage:13,619 mi
Crash-related:3
Fires:3
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2018 Ford F-150.

Transmission / Drivetrain
844
complaints
Crashes
11
Fires
2
Avg Miles
59,326
Engine Problems
485
complaints
Crashes
6
Fires
5
Avg Miles
56,688
Body Structure
173
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
3
Avg Miles
13,619
Electrical Faults
148
complaints
Crashes
7
Fires
9
Avg Miles
34,607
Steering Defects
82
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
29,469
Engine & Cooling
71
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
77,988
Unintended Acceleration
64
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
36,989
Brakes
62
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
Avg Miles
35,385
Fuel System
53
complaints
Crashes
Fires
2
Avg Miles
27,933
Wipers & Visibility
52
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
25,057
Airbags
37
complaints
Crashes
24
Fires
8
Avg Miles
41,831
Wheel Issues
34
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
6,891
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
22
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
20,635
Suspension Failures
21
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
37,233
Headlight/Taillight Failures
19
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
17,086
Latches / Locks
18
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
64,060
Seat Belt Issues
16
complaints
Crashes
13
Fires
7
Avg Miles
28,471
Automatic Transmission
14
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
108,889
Seat-Related Issues
14
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
4
Avg Miles
15,188
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Tailgate:Latch
12
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
40,329
Hydraulic Brakes
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
80,412
Sunroof/Moonroof
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
52,862
Side/Rear Glass
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
3,625
Back Over Prevention: Warnings
9
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
1,000
Wheels:Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
54,232
Backup Camera
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
89,938
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
40,500
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
94,869
Structure:Body:Door
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
13,798

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-150. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2018 Ford F-150

16 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~3,697,501 vehicles.

25V236000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist · Brake Master Cylinder
~123,611 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.

24V852000Equipment:other:labels
~27,678 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

22V150000Brake Master Cylinder · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist
~195,864 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.

21V983000Latches/locks/linkages:tailgate:latch
~57,591 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.

21V155000Tires
~15,769 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

20V097000Exterior Lighting:headlights
~166,196 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamps" switch position to "Headlamps On." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

19V633000Seats:mid/rear Assembly · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
~639,137 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

19V278000Engine · Equipment:electrical
~131,068 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.

18V894000Engine
~410,289 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.

18V568000Seat Belts:pretensioner · Structure:body:roof And Pillars
~1,619,112 affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.

+ 6 more recalls

Other Ford F-150 Years

2018 Ford F-150 — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2018 Ford F-150 reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2018 Ford F-150 has 2,646 NHTSA complaints, 104 crash-related, and 16 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Transmission / Drivetrain with 844 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2018 Ford F-150?
Top reported problems: Transmission / Drivetrain (844 complaints, avg 59,326 mi); Engine Problems (485 complaints, avg 56,688 mi); Body Structure (173 complaints, avg 13,619 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2018 Ford F-150?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 47,976 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2018 Ford F-150?
NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Ford F-150 include 104 crash-related reports, 51 fire reports, 84 injuries, and 4 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2018 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
Yes — 16 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 3,697,501 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2018 Ford F-150?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (transmission / drivetrain) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Ford F-150 reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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