2018 Ford F-150: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
64%
1,173 of 1,833 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Ford F-150 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 85% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 62 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 62%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM03/25/20251 INJURED
While driving in manual mode on the road vehicle seemingly came out of gear and then slammed into a lower gear causing me to be slammed forward in my seat and nearly wrecked my vehicle, it then unprotected went to 1st then to 9the gear all while still in manual shift mode. Vehicle also dose not always fully engage p…
POWER TRAIN09/23/20241 INJURED
Transmission shifts very hard and sometimes does not stop when at stop signs. This is very dangerous. I have a two year old son and my truck almost got T-boned due to the transmission not shifting gears properly. I’ve had it to the ford dealership twice now with no solution. No lights on, no codes coming up. It has bee…
POWER TRAIN09/02/20231 INJURED
While driving vehicle was shifting rough (106,000 miles) took to dealership performed latest tSB now the truck slams into gear shutters All through the gears then when driving went from 10th gear to 1st gear at 70 miles an hour and almost blew up the whole truck. I went from having rough shifts to almost getting t-bone…
Three of 1,173 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (19)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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 L…
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
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.
TIRES
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…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Ford F-150
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
19 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.
