10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 6 / 5
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 2 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 29,473 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.
I have a 2018 Ford F-150 with a 3.5L Ecoboost engine. In October 2021, I received a Customer Satisfaction Program 21B10, 21N03, and 21N08 notice of a software upgrade to reduce the engine cam phasor rattle on engine start up. This was a limited time repair notice. Unfortunately, I thought it was a recall notice and did not act on this upgrade until a few weeks after it had expired on July 31, 2022. When I called the local dealer a few weeks after this date, they stated they would not perform the upgrade free and instead would charge me. I also had a mechanic state that this issue was not required and recommended I not pay for this upgrade. Even if I had performed the upgrade, it doesn't sound like it would have necessarily fixed the cam phasor issue because thousands on Ford customers have complained. Over the years, the engine "rattle" noise has gotten worse, the engine has been harder to start, and the engine surges at highway speeds which is a "safety concern" since I no longer feel safe driving the truck because it feels like it will "stall" at any moment. When I took the truck into the dealer on September 3, 2025, they stated there was not warranty recall for the cam phasor issue even though this was documented by Ford Motor in the October 2021 Customer Satisfaction Program stated above. They told me it would cost ~ $5,600 to fix the issue. I do not understand how there is not a recall on this since Ford Motor knew they had a defective cam phasor design in their 3.5L Ecoboost engines. I am sure there are quite a few complaints posted with NHTSA. Any help you can provide with this issue would be greatly appreciated by me and all the Ford owners. Thank you.
- Spokane, WA, USA
Transmission has lots of issue, clunky shifting, surges, weird noises. Happens every time you drive. Dealer said it was normal but it's not. I've driven plenty of these 10r80s and they didn't have this issue. Engine makes noises that are not on other examples of this engine, my dad has the same truck and had similar issues and had to spend thousands of dollars to fix an engineering defect in the cam phasers. Dealer also said these noises were normal while under warranty - I see countless posts on forums saying the same thing then for others, after warranty suddenly its a problem because a retail job pays 30-40% more than a warranty job. Such a scam and you just keep allowing it. There is simply no reason that the 10r80 transmission and 3.5 ecoboost gen 2 engines haven't been recalled yet. Ford has issued updated parts, admitted to engineering issues that caused these issues so why are customers forced to pay to fix engineered issues? They admited fault, they need to make it right for their customers instead of screwing us over.
- Citrus Heights, CA, USA
When cold starting the engine, a rattling sound occurs caused by the cam phasers not aligning properly. My research shows that Ford claims this is not an issue, and has never issued a recall for this, however, I am worried that continued use might damage the engine further.
- Hancock, MI, USA
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.
- Hermitage, TN, USA
V6 eco boost 10 speed transmission is failing with 135,000 miles. Need to be replaced.
- Muscatine, IA, USA
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
- Vancouver, WA, USA
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.
- Spokane, WA, USA
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 Powertrain (wrench symbol) on the supposedly new transmission this time Ford dealership said it was the transmissions Dual clutches. This i didn't understand why was it happening with a new transmission and always met with an I don-??t know these things happen by Ford attendants. This caused to go without a vehicle for months having to use public transportation, loss of money, and time from work. Again, none of these defects were explained or recalled.
- Houston , TX, USA
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.
- Stearns, KY, USA
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.
- Anna, TX, USA
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 point during the first two calls did anyone verify our eligibility or warn that warranty expiration would block assistance -?" meaning we invested significant time, followed Ford-??s instructions, and left our truck on a service lot, only to be told we never qualified in the first place. This is an unacceptable breakdown in process and communication.
- Portland, OR, USA
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.
- Brandon , SD, USA
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
- Waverly, TN, USA
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.
- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA
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.
- Derby, VT, USA
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.
- Chesapeake , VA, USA
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.
- West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
I own a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost. It started having idling issues that eventually required the cam phasers to be replaced. While that was frustrating and costly enough, the bigger issue came with the 10R80 transmission. Despite performing all services on schedule and maintaining the truck properly, the transmission failed. After doing research, I found that this isn-??t an isolated incident. On Ford forums and owner groups, it-??s clear that the 10R80 transmission has been a widespread, ongoing issue for years. Thousands of Ford owners have been forced to spend thousands of dollars to repair or replace these transmissions-?"something that Ford should have addressed long ago with a proper fix or recall. It-??s disappointing that a company with Ford-??s reputation hasn-??t taken accountability for a known defect that affects so many loyal customers. Something should be done to make this right for owners who trusted Ford to deliver a reliable truck.
- Seneca, MO, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to Nthe HTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
- Fresno, CA, USA
- Sulphur Springs, TX, USA