10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,105 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2018 Ford F-150:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #93

Dec 132021

F-150

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle on two occasions, the electrical systems in the vehicle failed to illuminate. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 30 MPH, the interior and exterior lights and electrical systems became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. After the third failure, the contact took the vehicle home and had an electrician inspect the vehicle. The electrician diagnosed that the ground wires had begun rusting due to being made of a nonferrous material. The electrician disconnected, sanded down, and used di-electric grease to prevent the rust from reoccurring; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #92

Aug 032022

F-150

  • miles
The vehicle as of 12/9/2023 at 3:00pm CST is at a mileage of 79,503. We are consistently experiencing the slipping of gears when the truck is switched from park to drive. The first couple gears seem to slip as it accelerates. The speedometer will be showing at under 10mph, and the truck will jerk forward. The engine/transmission gets loud as if the car is still in a lower gear as it-??s accelerating. While it-??s jerking and making the loud noise, the speedometer will not go over 10mph. We are concerned that it is a problem with the powertrain control module. It seems to happen when the shift lever is moved from Park to Drive, possibly it causes a loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display and a momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral before the vehicle achieves the Drive function. We have a column shifter.

- St Paul, MN, USA

problem #91

Nov 082023

F-150

  • miles
We have had several problems with this vehicle since we bought it in 2020. It uses way too much oil for it to be new. We were told it was a common issue, but if the oil level ever gets down to a certain point, the truck acts weird. We have to put 3-5 quarts of oil in the truck in between oil changes (3,000 miles). We have put the truck in the shop several times for different issues, specifically engine knocking that we were told was "just how the motor is, all of the 5.0L engines do this, " and oil issues. We also just had purchased it, and the timing belt broke while driving. We understand that used vehicles often come with problems that cannot be diagnosed before purchasing, but the vehicle only had 30k miles on it. My husband was driving down the highway today and the truck flashed "auto start/stop disengaged" and the truck died. DOWN THE HIGHWAY. Luckily, he was able to pull over and restart his truck. The 5.0L motor and the 2018 F150s are trash. As you are - or should be - aware, there are SEVERAL lawsuits against Ford that coincide with the issues that we have had out of this truck, yet no recalls have been made. Can't they see that it is a lemon? PLEASE take our complaint (and those of many others) and have this vehicle recalled before someone is killed due to a faulty vehicle. I should not have to constantly worry about my husband driving this vehicle. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that it is a ticking time-bomb.

- Muscle Shoals, AL, USA

problem #90

Oct 272023

F-150

  • miles
Vehicle randomly stalled out as I was slowing down and an error appeared stating that there was a problem with the auto on/off feature and that I would need to put the vehicle in park and restart it manually. Fortunately I was turning onto a side road but if this was to happen as I was trying to make a quick turn through traffic it would have been a much larger issue.

- Tyngsboro, MA, USA

problem #89

Oct 072023

F-150

  • 38,391 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the interior lights illuminated, and the rear driver's door message was displayed. The battery was drained due to the failure. The contact located a similar article on YouTube regarding the rear driver's door and that the wiring harness was frayed. The contact spoke to her neighbor, who experienced the same failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 38,391.

- The Colony, TX, USA

problem #88

Aug 232023

F-150

  • miles
We tried to turn the vehicle OFF and it would not switch off. Literally we turned the key off but the motor kept running. We took it to a local mechanic who said the vehicle's wiring system has been melted and it would need to go to a dealer. Ford confirmed that the wiring harness melted and the vehicle's but the cause is unclear. Pictures show that the wiring got very hot, hot enough to melt plastic and discolor it. Ford says, that's what happens sometimes with 7 year vehicles. However, where plastic is discolored means there was open flame or sparking. Had the truck caught fire, the passengers may not have been able to exit if the doors were locked and the electric locks didn't work. We have not had it repaired and are considering an insurance claim. There were no warning lamps. No one has inspected the vehicle other than the original local mechanic and the Ford Dealer in Auburn, CA.

- Truckee, CA, USA

problem #87

Jun 052023

F-150

  • miles
APMI failure, compromises the ability to connect handheld device to vehicle for safety while on the road and ability to keep hands an eyes where the product designs them to be by disabling many safety features with voice, and navigation.

- Kaysville , UT, USA

problem #86

Nov 012022

F-150

  • 28,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle shut off with the "Auto START/STOP - Shift to Park - Restart Engine" message was displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact also stated that while driving at a high speed, the vehicle shuddered while depressing of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

- Rehoboth Beach, DE, USA

problem #85

Apr 212022

F-150

  • miles
The twin panel sunroof has water leaks threw the factory installed rivets on the rail causing electrical shortages and which can lead to a fire hazard water and electrical do not mix ford needs to redesign these sunroof rails to prevent water from seeping threw the cracks of the factory installed rivets

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #84

May 212022

F-150

  • miles
APIM is bad. It causes safety issues as the SYNC 3 system is either slow to change or doesn't change at all. Among other issues, I've driven forward in Drive with the SYNC screen still showing the view of the reverse camera. IT interferes with any safety systems that require the APIM to react in a timely manner.

- Millersville, MD, USA

problem #83

May 142023

F-150

  • miles
I was recently driving the vehicle with no issues and all systems running normally. Suddenly, every light in the cabin and every dashboard indicator light started flashing with a chime through the speaker system which normally occurs when the keys are in the ignition. The vehicle was parked and the engine was turned off immediately to avoid any further issues or damage. After turning off the ignition and removing the keys, the vehicle continued to try and power on with the accompanying chime through the speaker system. After exiting the vehicle, it was observed the headlights and taillights were also flashing very rapidly. An attempt was made to restart the vehicle. After inserting the keys, every light in the cabin and every dashboard indicator light started flashing with a chime through the speaker system again, the engine would not turn over or attempt to start. An attempt was made to jump start the vehicle with no change in results, the engine would not attempt to start and all lights remained flashing. The battery was changed with a brand new fully charged battery from the local Ford dealer. Upon installation, every light in the cabin and every dashboard indicator light started flashing with a chime through the speaker system again and the engine would not attempt to start, there was no change in the symptoms. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer since it was completely disabled. Through further internet research, the battery monitoring system can be reset after a battery change by flashing the bright lights 5 times and stepping on the brake pedal 3 times. This procedure was attempted and the system did reset. The vehicle is now operating and functioning normally. This was a complete system failure without warning, the vehicle was disabled. There were zero prior indications on the dashboard of any faults. I was fortunate the vehicle could be moved to a safe location. Had this incident occurred on an interstate my safety would have been at risk.

- Granger, IN, USA

problem #82

Apr 252023

F-150

  • miles
Radio, rearview camera, compass, usb ports, eight inch display failure. APIM has gone bad, a very common Ford defect over several years covering several models, that is costing/has cost thousands of consumers over a thousand dollars each to repair. The APIMs are obviously defective, a recall should be issued, and Ford should be required to replace the APIM at no cost to the consumer.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #81

Mar 162023

F-150

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Navigation System screen turned off temporarily. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and the Navigation System screen would turn off for an extended period and would fail to turn on upon turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure; however, there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Sweetwater, TX, USA

problem #80

Mar 012023

F-150

  • miles
The sync3 screen is flashing intermittently. It blacks out for 1 second and comes back on for one second. It continuously does this, and is very distracting while driving down the road. Especially at night. Also I cannot see the rearview camera while backing up the vehicle. I have done research on the problem, and there are numerous other problems just like I'm experiencing.

- Mankato , MN, USA

problem #79

Dec 012020

F-150 6-cyl

  • miles
In late 2020 Ford issued recall 20C03 to correct a problem with the Daylight running lights. This entailed the reprogramming of the body control module. In so doing they made an error in the new program and inadvertently activated the parking lamps at all times when using the Daylight running lights. This is in violation of the FMVSS No. 108 (Vehicle Lighting Standards) and California Vehicle Code Section 24800 (Driving with Parking Lights). I filed a complaint with Ford Motor Co. and they have repeatedly refused to correct the issue. Now to avoid the possibility of receiving a traffic violation it is necessary to not use a safety feature and drive without Daylight running lights.

- Hughson Ca, CA, USA

problem #78

Feb 072023

F-150

  • miles
Exiting a major freeway. Truck lost all power and dash lights illuminated. With a message. Place and park and restart engine. Resulting in me narrowly avoiding a major accident, due to lack of power and braking. After running off the side of the highway and stopping. Vehicle could be restarted with no check engine or faults. However, this is extremely dangerous. After getting home and researching to see if this is a problem to other Ford F150 owners. Others have reported similar problems. Will not be driving vehicle because its unsafe.

- Van Alstyne, TX, USA

problem #77

Sep 062021

F-150

  • miles
Unknown Mykey has me hostage. When I purchased my vehicle they only had 1 key. Not realizing that setting up the MyKey for my vehicle, I would be putting myself and others that drive on the road with me grave danger. I purchased my truck in March of 2019 and I the fall of 2021 I didn-??t think nothing of it by setting up the Mykey for my Ford F-150. Well without further a due I realized that the restrictions that the Mykey puts on there owners. Driving on the freeway or anywhere one may have to pass another vehicle quickly. Hang onto your hat because the speedometer stops at 80 and you just might find yourself between an on coming vehicle and the vehicle you were trying to get around before he thought about not allot you to-?? In the last 15 months there-??s been to many near misses because of the MyKey restrictions on my speedometer-?? Ford says they can-??t turn the Mykey off without another key-??.They ant my to pay $400 for a spare key-?? They need an Administration Mykey Key & standard Mykey key to delete the mykey functions. Now to me, that doesn-??t make since what so ever to be able to set up the Mykey function with only 1 Key when you need 2 to Defunction them.

- Springfield , OR, USA

problem #76

Dec 222022

F-150

  • miles
While driving at generally any speed from 8mph up to 70mph the electronic steering wheel will pull in either direction, I have brought this truck into a certified Ford dealership and they said everything they checked out was okay with said truck. This is not okay as it almost pulled me into the ditch while turning a corner. Other then that incident this erratic steering situation arises anytime I am driving, it does not appear to be intermittent.

- Battleground , WA, USA

problem #75

Dec 012018

F-150

  • miles
radio and camera do not work full screen does not turn

- Crestview, FL, USA

problem #74

Oct 242022

F-150

  • miles
Vehicle had electrical issues - Diagnosis by dealership was water damage to the Body Control Module. This module is inside the cabin on the front passenger area by their feet/legs. The issues included - flashers goin off, horn going off, truck bed gate dropping open - while parked and while driving down highway, and entire vehicle just shutting down while ALL of the issues happened at once. People have been put at risk by the gate dropping and the immediate shut down of an operating vehicle. The dealer was able to reproduce the problem. I had it happen twice. I have since identified that it is something that is a known issue on F150 forums. So much so that the likely cause of the water damage has been identified, and forwarded to the manufacturer. They are not fixing the issue. Manufacturer's dealership technician identified the water damage as the root cause. Required a replacement Body Control Module. Possible warning signs: Noted by myself and others. Emergency flashers randomly going off. Power drain on batteries. Horn going off randomly. Root cause: Unsealed seam between body panels under the hood in the engine bay. Leaking water falls on firewall and then onto the Body Control Module electrical component. Shorting will eventually ensure. This can happen any time. F150 forum thread documenting the likely culprit leaking seam: https://www.f150forum.com/f118/water-leak-cowl-seam-474781/

- Ashburn, VA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »